Alice
by Sunnywynd
Summary: When a young girl loses everything during the cybermen war, the Doctor helps her rediscover who she is, and who she is capable of being. When she follows a case of what she assumes is an alien, she meets the Winchesters, who teach her that there are things even the Doctor kept secret from her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n. this is my third fanfic, but my very first crossover. Hope it finds an audience of folks who enjoy it. Thanks so much for reading, please review if you have a moment!**

Chapter One

My name is Alice. You know, like the one in the story?

My life isn't that unlike THE Alice. I've never fallen down a rabbit hole or met talking animals or anything like that. But I did travel in time and space, and I have met my share of mad people.

But I'm kind of getting ahead of myself. Maybe I should start over.

My name is Alice Temple, and I hunt aliens.

Actually, hunt is the wrong word. That kind of implies I kill them for sport, doesn't it? I don't, just for your information. I'm more of an alien...enthusiast.

It started when I was seventeen years old.

When I was ten, my father moved my mother, brother, and I from California, to London. I loved London, I thrived on the culture, the schooling I attended, the rain and the fog, all of it. Until a week after my seventeenth birthday when the "ghosts" started showing up.

Remember the "ghosts"? The ones who turned out to not be ghosts at all, but metal men from another planet? Yeah...good times.

That was sarcasm. It was the worst time of my life, because unfortunately, my family happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We were gathered with a bunch of other people that they cybermen planned to "upgrade", as they call it.

My father caused quite a commotion, trying to create enough of a distraction that my older brother and I could escape. I got away. But I lost site of Aiden, he didn't make it out.

I hid for a day and a half, until the portal opened, the aliens got sucked in, and the war was over. Humanity is very good at picking up, and moving on as if nothing took place. Unless, of course, you lost everything like I did.

Within hours of it ending, people were going back to their normal lives, and I was wandering the streets. For about a second I considered going home, but it was too fresh, too painful, so I opted for the park instead.

I wandered aimlessly, eventually finding my way to the fountain, and that's where I met him. He was sitting on the side, his suit pants rolled up to his knees, his feet in the water.

He looked lost, and alone, just like me. I slipped off my sandals and sat next to him, lowering my feet into the cool water, and staring up at the recently emptied sky.

"It's a funny thing, war." He said, looking up at the sky, like me. "Nobody really ever wins. Sure, someone claims victory, but in the end, we all lost something."

"And some of us lose everything." I added, had I been less exhausted, I probably would have shed a tear or two.

I looked over at him. He was tall, and handsome. His dark hair looked just messy enough for you to wonder if he spent an hour getting it to look like that. He was fiddling with a tool of some kind. He kept absently pressing the button, making it buzz, and a light would come on.

"Sorry to hear that." He said.

I shrugged, "Like you said, we all lost something." I kicked my feet in the water. "What did you lose?" I asked.

He sighed, "my friend Rose."

I saw the pain in his eyes, and realized quickly his heart was as broken as mine. "I'm sorry." I said. "Did the cybermen get her?" I added, when he remained quiet.

He shook his head, "no. Fortunately, she escaped that fate. But she was taken from me all the same." He nudged me with his shoulder, "what about you? Who did you lose?"

"The cybermen took my family. My parents, and my brother. It's just me now." This time a tear escaped, and ran down my cheek. I let it, it was the first of many I would cry.

"How old are you?" He asked, a concerned look growing on his face.

"Seventeen, one week, and two days." I said with a chuckling sniffle. I had been driving Aiden crazy for weeks counting down to my birthday.

"Too young to be all on your own. Do you have other family?"

I shook my head, "not here in England. But I do have grandparents back in America. They live in Florida."

He nodded, "well of course they do. Don't ALL grandparents live in Florida?" He smiled down at me, as I gave a small chuckle.

He stuck out his hand, "I'm the Doctor, by the way."

I reached out, and shook his hand. "I'm Alice." I was going to make a comment about the strangeness of his name, but with everything that had happened, a strange name seemed incredibly unimportant.

"Alice. What a fantastic name. Tell me Alice, would you like to escape all this misery for a bit? Where is your favorite place in the world?"

I thought for only a second. "The beach. It's the one thing I miss about California. The beaches here, just aren't the same."

The Doctor smiled at this, "Alice, what would you say if I told you I could get us out of here onto a beach that is covered in pink sand?"

"On a normal day, I would wonder if you were attempting to kidnap me, or I might think you're crazy." I managed a small smile in his direction.

"Ah, but today is not a normal day now is it?" He got to his feet and picked up his shoes with one hand, holding the other out for me to take, if I chose.

He raised and eyebrow, and wiggled his fingers at me, "what do you say Alice, pink sand beach with your choice of dinner?"

I got to my feet and picked up my sandals. I paused only a moment, for some reason I absolutely trusted him. I took his outstretched hand and shrugged, "why not Doctor. What do I have to lose, right?"

He walked me fifty feet to a giant blue police box. How did I not notice it before now? He took out a key, unlocked the door and opened it. He bowed in front of me, his arm outstretched, "after you."

I smiled and leaned in through the doorway. I gasped in surprise, and leaned back out looking over at him. "Is this real, or have I gone crazy?"

"Why can't it be both?" He asked with all seriousness.

I shrugged and turned back, and then I walked in through the doorway that would change my life forever.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n. thanks to the anonymous guest reviewer. And to MissPadawan, I'm happy to see you are here with me!**

Chapter Two

We stayed at the pink beach for a week. He offered all of time and space, and I opted to lay in the bright orange sun on a far away planet until I forced myself to admit I couldn't stay any longer.

"We have to go back." I said simply as I laid on a blanket, drinking some exotic juice they kept bringing me.

He sat next to me on top of his suit coat, his sleeves rolled up, wearing sunglasses. "Only when you're ready."

"I can't hide forever." I added, more for myself than for him.

"I don't know about that one Alice." He lowered his sunglasses on his nose, looking down at me from over the top of them, "I've become very good at hiding."

"Yes, but you've had nine hundred years of practice." In our weeks vacation he had explained much about who he was, and I told him all about myself. Neither of us had any reason to lie, or hide anything from the other, and we had spoken of things that I had never told anyone else before.

"To Florida then?" He asked.

I nodded, "yes, I think so. They will have been looking for me by now."

"Not an issue." He said, popping a fruit that looked like a purple grape into his mouth. "Time traveler, remember? We'll return within hours of when we left."

When he had first explained about the time traveling, I had begged him to go back and save my family. He tried to tell me why that wasn't possible, but I cried and cursed at him until I fell asleep exhausted. I felt bad for the things I had said, when I woke. It wasn't his fault after all, but he was gracious and understanding.

"I think I need to go back to my house first." I sat up, and looked over at him.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, "yes. There are things there that I should take to my grandparents. Photo albums and such."

I ran my hands through the sand, feeling it run through my fingers. "Can I take some with me? The sand, I mean. Just to remember this place."

"Sure." He said as he climbed to his feet. "Stay here, I'm sure I can find you a bottle on the Tardis."

I looked around me at my surroundings. This place had gone from feeling surreal, to feeling more like real life than when the cybermen first appeared. He returned quickly, and I filled the clear glass bottle he brought me with the beautiful sand.

"I'm ready." I said, as I watched the sun start to set in front of me.

He reached down, and pulled me to my feet. I surprised him with a hug. "Thank you Doctor." I said simply, my cheek pressed against his chest.

He patted me on the back, "you're welcome Alice. Thank you for coming with me."

He took me back to my house, where I quickly packed a bag with some clothes, and some things I knew my mom would want me to keep. I cried as I packed, mourning and saying goodbye at the same time. I stood in the door for only a moment, there was nothing left for me here.

* * *

We stood side by side outside my grandparent's house. I had called to tell them everything, and they were expecting me.

"I'm not sure I can do this." I whispered, looking at the small house surrounded by palm trees.

"They're going to need you, as much as you will need them." He said simply.

I nodded, "will I ever see you again?" I looked up at him quizzically.

"Would you like to?"

"Yes."

"Then yes." He smiled down at me, and took my hand giving it a squeeze. "I have some things I need to take care of, but I will come back and see you again."

"Promise?"

"Just keep your ears open, and listen for me Alice Temple. I promise you I'll be back." He said with a smile.

I nodded, and forced my feet to move forward, toward my new life.

* * *

The first week was a blur of helping my grandparents figure out my parents estate. But I still listened, waiting for the Doctor to come back for me.

After a month, my grandmother insisted I start looking at colleges. Apparently spending my days wandering the streets of Miami looking for a blue box, didn't count as "living".

I registered for classes, secretly hoping inside, I would never have to actually take them. But when the Doctor was still missing in action six month later, I found myself sleeping through an American history class.

I remember vividly the day my professor woke me with, "do you have somewhere you would rather be Miss Temple?"

"You have no idea sir." Was what I came up with, since "I'm bored of waiting for my friend that time travels", kind of made me sound like a crazy person.

By the nine month mark, I had settled into a routine of pretending that I was fine. I went to school, I smiled and chatted with my grandparents, I even got a job. But inside I was a mess, I felt abandoned and alone, and frankly, a little bit angry.

I walked before bed at night, watching the sky as I did. One night I found myself in a park yelling at no one. "You promised! Please don't leave me here like this forever! Doctor?!" I went home in tears, still alone.

I laid in bed that night rolling the bottle filled with pink sand between my hands and crying. And when the clock hit midnight, I wished myself a happy eighteenth birthday and turned out the light.

It was just as I was dozing off that I heard it. I laid in bed, my eyes wide open, my ears straining to hear what I thought for sure I had dreamt. But there it was, if you've heard the noise before you would understand. It's not a noise you mistake for anything else, it's a wonderful sound, that is all its own.

I leapt from my bed, threw on a jacket and some shoes, and sprinted for the back door. I entered the small backyard, just as it appeared. And when the door opened, I cried and jumped into his arms momentarily forgetting how angry I was with him.

"Happy Birthday Alice Temple!" He cried, as he picked me up from the ground with a smile.

He put me back down, and I punched him in the arm. "Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting forever!"

He scowled and rubbed his arm, "I told you that I had things to do Alice."

"But you could have come for me the day after you dropped me off, and still have done all you needed to do."

"True." He said cheerily, as he pulled me inside the Tardis. "But, there were things YOU needed to do as well."

I closed the door behind me, "oh yeah, because nothing is more important than me falling asleep in any multitude of classes at school."

"Come, come now Alice. Surely you accomplished more than that in the last eleven months." He sat back in a chair, kicking his converse clad feet up onto the Tardis console. "Surely you made a friend or two? I mean, even I did that."

"You made a new friend? Tell me about them."

He waved his hand, "she was a bride. There was a giant spider...it was this whole...thing." Long pause. "Anyway, YOU are changing the subject. Did you, or did you not make any new friends?"

I looked at my feet, "not."

He gave an exasperated sigh. "Alice..."

I raise my hand stopping him. "I know, believe me, there is nothing you can say that I haven't already heard from my grandparents."

"It's not good for you to be alone Alice. Believe me, I know. When you spend too much time by yourself, it does things to you." He got to his feet and started fiddling with dials on the console. "Now, where to?"

"That's it? You need to work on your lectures Doctor. They aren't nearly as long and naggy as my grandmothers." I hopped up the stairs to sit next to him, in the chair he vacated.

He turned to face me, his arms folded across his chest. "I don't lecture Alice, I advise. There's a difference. Now tell me, what do you want to see?"

I shrugged, "everything."

"That, my girl, is my favorite answer to that question." He turned back around, pulled a few levers, and we were off.

Every year on my birthday he showed up like clockwork. We would travel for weeks, sometimes months at a time, and he would return me the next morning like I had never left.

I saw things I can't describe, and ran from things I don't WANT to describe. Once the Doctor is in your life, your life becomes about the Doctor.

To his disappointment, I didn't really make any other friends. I had a boyfriend or two, but no one could compare to what he had become in my life. He was my best friend, my father figure, and the only person I trusted.

On our fifth anniversary he took me back to the pink beach.

"I'd say this is a good way to spend your twenty second birthday, wouldn't you?" He asked, sipping a purple drink from a giant glass.

I blocked the sun with my hand, as I leaned up to answer. "Actually I did some math. With all the time I've spent with you, I think I am actually twenty three now."

He frowned, "really? I've taken that much time from you?" He looked sad.

I sat up and grabbed his arm, "hey, you have GIVEN me that much time. The only thing you have taken from me is my ability to date normal men. I keep ending up with the crazies, it's like they can smell the alien on me."

He swatted my hand away, and chuckled. "Did you ever hear back from UNIT?"

I sighed, running with the Doctor definitely had its side effects. Over the last five years I had learned an immense amount about innumerable alien species. It had turned me into quite a commodity to people like UNIT, the researchers of all things alien in the U.S. "Yes, they offered me the job. Again. Even though I have turned it down twice."

"You should just take the job. You could definitely teach them a thing or two."

I laid back down and closed my eyes. "I work better on my own, they just get in the way."

On my twenty first birthday I inherited my parents final estate. It was substantial, and when I graduated from school I told my grandmother I got a great job in Miami, but that the job required a lot of travel.

I lied, there was no job. Just me traveling around the country looking for anything and everything that sounded alien in nature. I kept finding myself crossing paths with UNIT, and they had taken to offering me a job every time it happened.

"Tell me about your latest companion, Martha, right?"

"Are you changing the subject Alice?"

"Yeeepp."

He sighed, "she is great, incredibly intelligent."

"And where is she right now?"

"Home, visiting her family." He looked a bit guilty. "Things got a little dicey on our last trip together. She needed some time away from me for a while."

"Sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, "no, no I don't. It was... Well, frankly I made a dangerous decision that almost killed us both, not to mention a lot of other people."

"If I had a dollar." I smirked in his direction.

"Oh, you just shut up."

I held up my hands, "I'm just saying! It happens all the time, it's just the way traveling with you is. You either get good at running, or you learn to hide."

"Yes well, there are other complications as well. Not just the running and hiding."

"She's in love with you, isn't she?"

He jumped to his feet. "I am.. Not saying, just no. I am not saying that." He fumbled awkwardly over his words, his face flushed bright red.

"But you're not, NOT saying it either." He started walking away from me, "you can walk away, but I already saw you blush! If you weren't so damned cute, this wouldn't happen!" I called at his retreating back. "Maybe your next regeneration will be some hideous creature that no one, but me, will be willing to spend time with!"

"I have half a mind to leave you here, you know." He yelled over his shoulder.

I picked up my beach towel, and followed after him. I looked around at a place I was starting to grow attached to. "I'm not so sure that would be a punishment. I kind of love it here."

"Yes well, let's see what thirty years under this sun does to your skin. Your going to have second thoughts when you look like an alligator bag." He fumbled for his key, and opened the Tardis.

I followed behind him, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't tease you. You're right, I don't want to look like a handbag." I reached out and grabbed his arm. "And I'm sorry about Martha. I'm sure she will come around, just give her some time to miss you."

He smiled down at me, "you know Alice, this would be easier if you would just stay with me all the time."

"Don't be ridiculous. I would drive you crazy. Besides, if I was with you, then who would be policing UNIT for you? AND I heard a rumor, that Torchwood was back in business. You need me on earth, I'm the best eyes and ears you have there, and you know it."

He nodded his head thoughtfully, as he pulled the levers in front of him. "Do me a favor and stay clear of Torchwood, okay?" He said after a moment, turning to look into my eyes.

This surprised me, "really? I thought you might want me to look into it. Just to see what they are up to."

He shook his head, "not yet. Leave them be for now. Promise?"

I nodded, "of course. Whatever you think is best. I have plenty to work on in America right now anyway. You wouldn't believe the weird stuff I keep finding."

He smiled at me, "I'm quite sure I would not only believe it, but probably know where it came from." He spun around quickly, "I almost forgot! I got you a birthday present!"

He reached under a compartment and handed me a cell phone. "You got me a new phone?"

"Yes! But not just any cell phone. You can actually use it to call me. I figured you should have it, just in case you run into anything that is too much for you."

I hugged him quickly, "thank you! This is amazing!"

"Now, don't just use it to ask me to bring you some take out from some distant planet." He said pointing his finger at me. "Only when you need me, got it?"

"I promise." I smiled, clutching the phone to my chest. "I do love you, you know that right?" He looked embarrassed for a moment. "I mean, I don't LOVE you, love you... I just, you know, love you."

He bent and gave me a hug. "You're a good girl Alice Temple. I'm glad you found me."

"I'm glad you found me too, Doctor." I whispered, as I held him tightly.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n. I think I am going to opt for shorter chapters more often, rather than longer chapters once a week or so.**

**Thanks so much for the new reviews from Tina and Stephanie, you guys are so sweet! And MissPadawan you get to your Netflix ASAP and watch the magic that is the Doctor!**

Chapter Three

Remember that scene in Men in Black where they look at magazines like the National Enquirer to find possible alien activity? I actually started doing that the day the Doctor brought me home the first time. I still do, fiction or not, it's a good way to find stories that other people just discount as craziness.

It's how I came across the story I'm pursuing. Apparently somewhere in the middle of little old Indiana people have gone missing. And not just your everyday lost in the woods missing. We are talking middle of the day, headed out to lunch, never to return type disappearing. And the number rose to ten people as of the day before yesterday.

This isn't necessarily anything alien, but it's definitely weird enough that I am going to go take a look.

If the Doctor was here, he would say something like, "don't go alone Alice. It might be something dangerous." Which he would immediately follow up with going alone while shouting "Allons-y" or something equally ridiculous.

So I packed a bag, filled the back of my black jeep with supplies, and headed out for Indiana.

For the most part I am pretty inconspicuous. I look like your average hometown American girl. Medium height, and build. Long blond hair, that I usually wear braided down my back, unless I need to flirt a bit to talk my way into somewhere I'm not supposed to be. In which case, having my hair loose, so I can do things like giggle while I twirl it around my fingers, comes in handy.

I have been told I have beautiful eyes. Aiden and I both got our mom's bright green eyes, and if I wear the right makeup, and bat my eyelashes enough, I can get most things I need. However the Doctor did give me a piece of psychic paper last year. Just to get past the trickier spots, like other women, or men who's gates don't swing in my direction. If you know what I mean... But I try not to use it if I don't have to. You never know when you might come across someone who might see just the blank piece of paper that it is.

It was a two and a half day drive, but I didn't mind. I blared classic rock music through my satellite radio, and camped out in my jeep at night. And when I finally reached the little town, I pulled into the first gas station I came across.

I jumped down from my seat, and stretched my back as I looked around. I was just off the main road, and I could see what looked like the town's center just a hundred yards or so from where I stood.

The place was a ghost town. Nobody on the street, no sounds of kids playing, even though it was a beautiful June day. The fear and tension was so thick in the air you could practically taste it.

I filled my gas tank, and walked inside the little convenience store to pay. There was an older woman behind the counter, and a teenage boy stocking shelves toward the back. I headed in his direction, as the woman behind the counter scowled at me suspiciously.

I picked up a bag of chips near where he was stuffing bags of candy onto a shelf. I smiled at him, as he looked up when I approached. "Afternoon. Beautiful day out there, eh?"

He smiled back, and looked over his shoulder at the woman who watched us like a hawk. "Um, yeah. I guess so."

"Is there anywhere I can stay around here? I'm just passing through, but I thought I might stay a day or two and look around."

He looked again at the woman who spoke up, "Toby, why don't you go in the back and get those boxes unpacked back there."

He looked relieved, and nodded his head. "Sure thing grandma." He said, and he nodded his head at me before he practically sprinted for the back room.

I grabbed a soda and took my items to the front with a smile that I hoped looked non-threatening.

"You'll have to forgive the boy." She said, as she rang up my gas with the couple of items I picked up. "We are a bit leery of strangers around here these days, and you are the third one in two days time."

I was the third huh? Interesting, I guess this story caught more peoples attention than just mine. "Well I'm just passing through, and looking for a place to spend the night." I passed her a handful of cash.

The woman sighed, "You seem like a perfectly nice girl, I suggest you just keep passing through, and stay somewhere else tonight." She passed me my change.

I stood for a moment and looked at her, and then I just did what the Doctor taught me, I offered help. "I see you are afraid. I see the whole town is." I motioned out the window, to the empty streets. "Tell me what you know, and you might be surprised about the amount of help I can provide."

She looked at me skeptically from over her glasses. "Nobody knows what's going on honey. That's the problem. There's only one motel, it's across the way there, behind the bakery. I sent those two FBI agents there yesterday, Maggie is going to be surprised by the influx of customers. She owns the motel." She explained.

I thanked her and turned to leave but she stopped me. "You be careful out there honey, I'll tell you what I told those boys yesterday. This used to be a nice place, we used to get visitors and tourists. But for the last year things have gotten dangerous, and we don't have anyone new around here anymore. If you want my opinion?" I nodded my head vigorously. "It's that old house on the other side of town. That place has always been a problem, but ever since Sy died last year, something is going on over there. Just be careful, okay?"

"Thank you ma'am, I certainly will."

I headed back out to my jeep, and climbed in. And empty town full of scared people, a suspicious house, AND two FBI agents. It was going to be a busy day.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n. a side note that this takes place during season two of Supernatural.**

**MisPadawan you are just one of my favorite people. Seriously, how many people would be nice enough to read my stories even though they don't know the characters. You are too sweet! :)**

Chapter Four

I pulled the jeep into a space on the corner right outside the bakery. I could see the old gray bricked building that served as the town's only hotel, just around the corner. It looked more like an old house, three stories tall and covered in ivy. If it hadn't been for the small sign hanging from the front porch, I wouldn't have guessed it was a hotel at all.

I was about to get out and get my stuff together, when I heard voices through my open window. Two guys in suits were coming out of the bakery, these had to be the FBI agents I had heard about. I couldn't imagine many people in this town dressing like that for work. They were handsome, young and tall, in fact one of them was down right gigantic. I leaned back in my seat, hiding myself and listening to them.

"Look Dean, it's not the counter girl's fault, you shouldn't have been so rude." The giant one said.

"No pie Sam? Really? What kind of bakery doesn't sell pie, except during the holidays?"

"Apparently this one. Just shut up and eat your doughnut."

"I'm just saying, any good bakery serves pie. Even if it's the middle of summer, and not Thanksgiving."

I peeked out the window to see him take a gigantic bite of a doughnut he was carrying. He continued talking, even with his mouth completely full.

"Doughnuts are good though."

"Geez Dean, try chewing before you speak. Where to now? With all the no help we got at the police station, I don't know quite where to go from here."

"It is a bit strange that the police here didn't seem to want any help. I mean, ten people go missing, and they are just pretending everything is fine. And between that, and the creepy warning to get out of town, from the old lady yesterday at the gas station, I have a feeling people around here know more than they are saying."

It seemed I had a bit of a head start on them, as apparently our shared gas station friend had failed to mention the house she felt was causing all the trouble, to them. I needed to find that house. I waited as they finished talking.

"So the lady in the hotel didn't want to talk, and the gas station lady seemed to say everything she wanted to say. The police are biting their tongues, and the only other person we have even seen since yesterday was the girl in the bakery, who you yelled at for not having pie. Who do we talk to now?"

I watched as he opened the passenger door to an old black impala, the shorter of the two, standing on the drivers side.

"I don't know Sam, you're supposed to be the smart one, remember? We just need to hurry, before whatever this is takes somebody else."

"I keep thinking we should call dad, it's like I keep forgetting."

"Dad is gone Sam, we're on our own. Come on, there's got to be a bar here somewhere, people talk in bars, right?"

"They also drink there Dean."

"Two birds Sammy, two birds."

They climbed in the car, and I waited for them to drive away before I sat up. Well, if these two guys were FBI agents, then I would eat my non-existent hat. They were just people like me, people wanting to solve the mystery, and help. And apparently brothers, on top of that.

I had a moment, where I thought about following them and telling them what I knew. But I realized, I really didn't know anything. Better to find out what I could, and then bring them in if I needed help. I jumped from my seat, and headed into the hotel with my bags.

I rang the little bell on the counter that was just inside the quaint little building's entrance. A polite looking older woman came out of a back room, with a smile on her face. "Afternoon there honey. I just got a call from Nancy over at the gas station about you. My name's Maggie. You need a room?"

"Yes please." I smiled at her. "News of visitors travels fast around here then?" I asked, as she passed me a piece of paper to sign, after I gave her my credit card.

"Oh it does lately. We just don't get many visitors anymore, I spend most of my days alone here with the cats, and judge Judy." She chuckled. "It is nice to see some young new faces around though. Have you met those two nice young men yet? The government boys? Polite boys, they are, and handsome...whooohooo." She fanned herself with her hand, and smiled.

I laughed, "no ma'am I haven't. But I'm sure we'll cross paths at some point. Any idea what they are doing here?" I had heard them saying she didn't want to talk, so I was interested to hear what she would tell me.

But she just waved her hand at me. "Oh honey, I don't trouble myself with all that. So long as they don't cause a ruckus around here, they can stay and do whatever it is they are doing, for as along as they like."

She turned around, and lifted a cat down from the top of a counter behind her. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a key.

"Here you go darlin, I put you in the room just across from them boys. Maybe one of them will catch your eye?" She winked at me, and passed me the key.

I smiled, and climbed the steps to the second floor, finding my room at the end of a long hallway. I paused before I entered, looked around, and walked over to the boys room. I tried the handle, but it was locked. I could easily remedy that, but I didn't want to get caught breaking into their room within minutes of checking in, so I turned back and opened the door to my room instead.

It was small, but cozy. There was a queen sized four poster bed, and every pattern in the room seemed to be floral. There was a small table, and a television, and a tiny bathroom off to my right. I put all my stuff in the room, pulled some cash from my bag, and grabbed my phone and stuffed them in my pockets, and left with my keys.

I headed back down to the desk, but she was already out of site, in a room behind the counter somewhere. So I called out. "Maggie? Could you tell me where the library is?"

She poked her head around the door, and said, "sure thing, it's just across the square. The big gray building with the stone steps. The door on the North side," she pointed to the north. "is the city office. But the south side is the library."

"Thank you." I smiled and left the little hotel. I walked across the square, again noticing how strange it felt to be the only person out. There was a car that passed now and again, but no families, or kids to speak of. I headed to the large gray building, and entered the doors on the side that Maggie spoke of.

There was a middle aged bald man sitting at the front desk. He looked up at me with suspicion as I walked toward him.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked with a whisper, looking at me from over the top of his glasses.

"I hope so." I answered with my trademark 'trying to get what I want' smile, "I'm looking for where you keep your city's records."

"Why? May I ask?"

I hadn't really expected an argument. "I am just curious about a piece of property that I heard was recently vacated. I was hoping to find information about it."

He was suddenly very uncomfortable. "I don't know what property you are speaking of, but you will not find the information here, I assure you."

Wow this guy should definitely not be playing poker, the fact that he was lying to me, was written all over his face. "Really? Hm, that is strange. Usually the library has that information about the town. Are you sure you have nothing that can help me?" I asked him again, giving him another chance, but he just shook his head.

"No Miss, I'm sorry. You will not find the information to seek here. If you could please leave now, I have other people to help."

I looked around myself, at the almost empty library, and frowned. "Okay, I'm sorry I bothered you."

"Have a nice day." He offered, and then looked back at his computer.

I walked outside and sat down on the steps. I had a few hours to kill until nightfall, it looked like I was going to be breaking into a library tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I made my way back down the stairs of the hotel after waiting till dark and changing into some less noticeable clothing. Not that I was dressed like a cat burglar or anything, just a black tee and some dark jeans, plus my running shoes. If there was one thing I learned from my time with the Doctor? Always be ready to run. My hair was up in a high ponytail, but was so long, it still hung down between my shoulders.

As I passed the front desk I heard Maggie call to me. "Are you headed out? It's already dark, and the curfew goes into effect soon."

I stopped in my tracks, "curfew?"

"Yes, ever since things have been a little...troublesome. The police decided placing a curfew until things settled down would be a good idea. They ask that everyone be inside by ten, do you think you'll be back by then?" She looked genuinely concerned for me.

I took my phone from my pocket, 9:30. Nope, I was definitely not going to be back by ten. "I will certainly try Maggie. But don't worry about me, I was just going for a drive, I'll be careful. Don't wait up or anything, okay?"

She nodded, but her furrowed brow showed more concern than she was letting on. "If you see those agents out this evening, please let them know about the curfew as well, will you?"

"Yes, I definitely will. Thank you Maggie, I'll see you in the morning." I gave her a reassuring smile.

"I hope so my dear. I really really do." She trailed off at the end, as she turned away from me. And for a second, I actually got a little bit nervous. But I shook it off, and headed outside.

I walked around the square slowly, sticking close to the buildings as I went, looking for any signs of danger, or other people. It took me a bit, but I made my way to the library. I had decided I would run up the steps, unlock the door, and slip in quietly before anyone noticed. But as I crept closer to the stairs, I saw a flashlight. I ducked back behind a nearby shrub, but realized I still wasn't going to be safe there.

It was a police officer, he was fully uniformed, and checking the doors and windows of the building. And he was just feet from my hiding spot. I backed up slowly, and ran around the corner of the building, hearing his footsteps follow behind me.

Crap, he must be walking around the entire building. I continued as quietly as I could. Moving as close to the building as possible, and continually checking behind me, still seeing the flashlight but keeping out of its range.

I turned to move forward again, and ran straight into one of the towns infamous "FBI" agents. It was the shorter of the two, but his six foot tall frame still towered over me. I ran straight into his chest with a muffled cry, and startled him as much as me.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Shhhhh," I whispered, clamping my hand over his mouth. I turned us both so that my back was against the building. The policeman was coming, there would be no hiding at this point.

I grabbed the lapels of his leather jacket and pulled him toward me, "kiss me." I hissed at him.

He looked at me like I was absolutely out of my mind.

"Do you want to get caught breaking into the library, because I don't!" I whispered quickly. "Now kiss me!"

I reached my arms up around his neck, and pulled his surprised face towards me, placing my lips over his. Holy soft lips batman...

For a moment he resisted, and then when the flashlight moved toward us, he understood. I gasped as he slipped his tongue into my mouth, and kissed me like I had never been kissed before. He was WAY too good at this, obviously the boy had seen some action.

My hands went into his hair, and he tightened his arms around my waist. And for a small moment, just a small one mind you, I totally forgot what was going on. But that passed quickly when the cop shouted at us.

"Hey! What are you two doing out here?" He walked over to where we stood, and the stranger I had just been making out with, kept his arm around my waist like I belonged to him.

"Evening officer." He said, his voice cracking a bit. He cleared his throat, "how can we... um... help you?" He looked down at my face, and I shrugged and gave him a small smile.

"Aren't you one of those FBI agents who stopped in town today?" He asked, lowering the flashlight.

"Yes, yes I am. It was yesterday actually, we decided to stay a few days."

The cop looked down at me, "and you are?"

I climbed out from under the strange guy's arm, and stuck out my hand. With a big smile, I said, "this is so embarrassing! I am so sorry! I'm his girlfriend Alice." I pointed over my shoulder at him. "He told me how nice it was here, and I drove out to see it for myself. We were on a walk through town, and I guess we got a bit carried away."

The policeman cleared his throat awkwardly, "well there is a curfew in effect. Things aren't completely safe around here right now, the two of you should probably make your way back to the hotel."

I nodded my head, "thank you, of course we will!" I absently brushed the loose hair behind my ear, and then grasped at it with a gasp. "My earring! Honey, I lost my earring!"

The cop shined his flashlight on the ground where we were standing, and started looking for it. "Your name?" I whispered to him.

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Dean." His breath sent goosebumps down the back of my neck. Pull it together Alice, I thought to myself.

I pretended to look for the non-existent earring for a moment, and then gave another girly gasp and grabbed Dean's arm. "I'll bet I left it over in the park. You know, the spot where we were..." I trailed off at the end, leaving both men completely uncomfortable.

I turned back to the cop, "you feel free to be on your way. We will head back the way we came, stop for my earring and head straight to the hotel. We promise, right Dean?" I made the cross my heart symbol, and looked up into Dean's face.

"What? Oh yeah..pffft. Totally." He shrugged, and reached down to take my hand, leading me away from the man.

"Good night officer!" I called over my shoulder. And then I gave a giggle, and snuggled myself into Dean's side, wrapping his arm around me again.

We walked around the back of the library, leaving the cop as uncomfortable as possible so he wouldn't follow us. We stopped back there for a moment, he held me in his arms and we stood against the wall and waited to hear if he decided to come after us anyway, but thankfully it stayed quiet.

"Um Dean?" The voice startled us both, coming from the opposite direction of the one we were both concentrated on.

"Shh, quiet Sam." Dean whispered, as he grabbed Sam's arm and pulled him into what was turning into a strange group hug.

"Hi, I'm Alice." I whispered, wiggling my hand from Dean's grasp to shake his brother's hand.

"Sam." He said simply, with a completely confused look on his face, as he took my hand.

"Nice to meet you. Now should we go inside?"

Sam just kept looking from Dean to me, and then he shook his head, like he was clearing it.

"Well there's only one door on the side," he whispered. "And it's padlocked. I was going to look for a window to climb through to open the front door."

"Padlock? No problem, let's go." I moved from Dean's grasp, and headed the direction Sam had pointed. I got to the door, and fished my trusty sonic screwdriver from the back pocket of my jeans. It worked just like the Doctor's but was half the size. I bent over the lock, and pressed the button. The light and familiar buzz came on, and the lock fell open.

I smiled and opened the door, letting us all inside. And using the screwdriver for light, I led us down the hall.

Sam stopped midway down, "okay, what the hell is going on, who are you? And what is that thing?" He motioned to my screwdriver.

"There IS a lot of explaining to do, my name really is Alice. And this is a sonic screwdriver, the Doctor made it for me after I got trapped in a box on Raxacoricofallapatorius. It's a long story, but needless to say, I'll never be trapped in a box again. As for what's going on, I'm not sure. But as you guys are here to figure it out like me, I figure we might as well work together right?" I smiled at them tentatively.

"She's crazy." Sam whispered.

"I know, but totally hot, right?" Dean replied with a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n. this story has been so much fun to write so far. It almost feels like its writing itself at times, and I love that.**

**Thanks for reading, if you have any communities or friends you think might like it, please recommend me!**

**If you have a moment, feel free to comment, it makes my day to see people are reading my stuff!**

Chapter Six

I rolled my eyes at their response. "Look, as much as I appreciate the compliment," I motioned in Dean's direction. "I'm not crazy. I admit, what I just said probably sounded crazy though, now that I have thought it through." Mentioning Raxacoricofallapatorius on your first meeting was probably a mistake, Alice. I thought to myself.

"But the point is, that we are all here for the same reason. At least I'm assuming we are. The disappearing people? And don't go pulling out badges saying you're FBI agents, I think that ship has sailed." I looked at them questionably.

The looked at one another for a moment, and then Dean spoke. "We're here to help before anyone else goes missing. We just haven't figured out what is taking them yet."

"Dean," Sam scolded. "We don't even know if we can trust her."

I raise my hands in surrender. "If you guys don't want my help, it's not a problem. I work just fine all on my own. I'll go my way, and you go yours, if that makes you feel better Sam."

I turned and used my screwdriver to light the way toward the front of the library to see if I could access the computers and find an old map of the town. Or maybe read some local news on the man from the house that died. I could hear the boys arguing behind me, as I walked away.

"Alice wait!" Dean shouted from behind me. I turned to see him shove Sam aside, and sprint to catch up with me. Sam just shook his head, and followed like a lost puppy.

I stopped to wait for them to catch up, and was surprised when Dean pulled a small vial for his jacket pocket. He held it up to my eye line. "Know what this is?" He asked.

"Nope, some kind of magic potion?" I responded sarcastically.

"In a sense, yes." He responded, as he pulled the cork from the bottle. "Hold out your hand."

"Why?" I crossed my arms protectively across my chest.

"Because then I can prove to Sam that you aren't a threat. Now hold out your hand." He paused and looked at me, "please?" He finally said.

I held my hand out palm up, and he dumped something that looked suspiciously like water into it. We all stood there for a moment, and they watched me intently.

I looked down at my hand, and back up into their expectant faces. "Was something supposed to happen?" I whispered. "Like, should I be a toad or something?"

"I told you Sam." Dean smiled at me, "just a bit of holy water. Just to make sure you're... You know...not a demon."

I nodded my head slowly. "Oooookaaayyy. Well, I'm glad we nailed that down." I responded. Demon? And they thought I was the crazy one?

I headed to the front desk, and turned on the computer sitting there.

"So what are you looking for exactly?" Sam asked.

I jumped up, and sat on the counter. "Excellent question Sam. What exactly were YOU here looking for?"

"Well IF we're sharing information, we talked to someone at the bar who mentioned that most of the disappearances have taken place near, or inside the cemetery. We came by here earlier to see if we could find recent death records to see if there were any violent deaths in the last year near the cemetery, but the librarian was less than enthusiastic about helping us."

"Mostly he threw us out." Dean added, pulling a flashlight from his pocket, and shined it around the room.

I laughed a bit at that. "Well, well, it seems we have that in common at least. Although I came here looking for a mysterious house, that the lady in the gas station mentioned."

Sam shook his head, "I told you that lady was holding out on us Dean."

I smiled and jumped down, looking on the computer for where they keep the newspapers. "Why violent deaths?" I asked, as I clicked through an interior map of the library.

"What?" Sam asked, looking up from a stack of papers he was looking through on the desk.

"You said you were looking specifically for violent deaths, why is that?"

"They are the most likely to leave behind a violent spirit." Dean responded, moving closer to me with the look of suspicion back on his face. "I thought you were a hunter, like us. What exactly do you think is responsible?"

"Wait, you think a GHOST is responsible for all this? Like a real ghost?" I snickered, and then paused for a moment. "I am realizing that I am about to sound as crazy as you. I was looking for aliens. It's what I do, I travel around searching for alien species here on earth." I looked at him, fully prepared for the 'you are completely mad' face, but he just looked contemplative.

"Aliens? Wow, you really are crazy." Sam replied.

I shrugged, "How is searching for aliens and crazier than ghost hunting? The Doctor would say it's all about perspective. You said you thought I was a hunter, what did you mean?"

Dean hopped up on the counter, sitting in the spot I had vacated next to the computer. "It's what Sam and I do, we hunt Supernatural creatures, and stop them from hurting people if we can."

I patted him on the arm, and looked over at Sam, "a noble cause boys. Can't say I've ever encountered a ghost, but I'm sure there are lots of things out there I haven't seen." I grabbed a piece of paper, and drew a rough map of where we were going.

"Who's the Doctor? That's the second time you've mentioned that name." Sam asked.

"Is he from your time in the mental institution?" Dean asked with a smirk.

I shoved him and gave an exasperated sigh, "no smart ass. He's my... Let's just say mentor. Taught me everything I know about aliens. And I actually have an impressive amount of knowledge. Maybe if you're lucky, I'll share some of it with you when this is over."

I tossed the pen back on the counter and picked up my map. "Alright, I'm heading to where the newspapers are to look for obituaries. The lady said the house is empty now, because the guy who lived there died. I'm pretty sure she called him Sy. Maybe he is the violent death you are looking for. You guys coming with me? Or did you have a different plan?"

Sam looked at Dean and shrugged, "lead the way Alice."

* * *

Hours later I could barely keep my eyes open. I was laying on the floor on my stomach, surrounded by papers from the last year, but I still had yet to find one thing that seemed helpful.

I looked over at the boys, Sam sat at a table near by sifting through maps of the town, and Dean was on the couch. Apparently the newspapers he was supposed to be looking through got the best of him, he was snoring with one laid over his face.

My eyes were closing whether I wanted them to or not, and I laid my head down on the floor. "Alice, come and look at this, I think I may have found something." Sam said, startling me awake.

I got to my feet, and went to the table. He picked up the map on top, and slid it to the side, pulling out an older one. "I've looked through them all, they go back over a hundred years, and the town has changed a lot. Especially in the last twenty years, but one thing remains the same. This is the first map, look here."

He pointed to what looked to be a house, next to an open field. He reached behind him, and brought another map over the top of the old one.

"This one is the newest. Now look again."

The new one was so different from the old one, you never would have guessed it was the same town. Except for the one spot Sam was pointing to. "It's the same house. It's got to be right?" I asked.

He nodded his head, "yes, I think it is. And look at the empty field next door. It isn't so empty anymore."

I took the map in my hands, getting a closer look at the legend in the corner. "Well isn't that interesting. Dean wake up!" I shouted, he sat up and almost fell off the couch.

"What? I'm not sleeping."

"Of course you're not." I chuckled, "well get up anyway, I believe Sam found the mysterious house. AND the cemetery. We've got work to do."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n. today on Facebook I posted about how depressing it is to read your twitter feed, when you are a fangirl who is not at sdcc where all the exciting stuff is happening. I stand by that statement.**

**Thank you so much to the reviewers of the last couple of chapters. You guys are too good to me, and I love you. But seriously. I love you.**

Chapter Seven

Through a bit more investigating we discovered the man who owned the house was named Sylvester Williams. It was strange, there was no previous owners listed, even though Sy and his wife purchased the house nearly fifty years after it had been built.

I looked over the census I had managed to find a few minutes before. "It says he was fifty three when they bought the house, and it was just the two of them that lived there. According to the next census, he lived there alone. She must have died within those years or something. If we assume he lived to be in his seventies or eighties, we need to go back further in the newspapers, like twenty five to thirty years further."

I rubbed at my already tired eyes, and looked at the boys. "I would suggest we do this tomorrow. But I'm pretty sure they aren't going to be any happier to let us in, we should probably look into it now, while we are here."

Dean groaned and flopped back onto the couch, and Sam got to his feet. "I'll go pull the papers, be right back."

I started gathering up the maps, we were going to have to leave everything exactly how we had found it. And we had made quite a mess so far. I put them in order, and was carefully returning them to their folder. I could feel Dean's eyes watching me.

"What?" I asked, glancing at him over my shoulder.

"Have you really seen aliens?" He asked, as he sat up.

I placed the maps back on the shelf behind me and sighed, "have you really seen ghosts?"

"You do that a lot you know." He stated.

"Do what?"

"Get defensive and answer a question, with another question."

So here's a little tidbit about Dean. He has the greenest eyes I've ever seen, and when he looks at you, you kind of want to bear your soul. I was pretty sure he was the reason my defenses were up. Apparently that kiss had done a lot more to addle my brain, than I realized, or wanted to admit.

I sat down on the floor on front of him, and looked up into his too freaking green eyes. "Yes, the answer is yes. I have seen aliens, met them, even visited some of their worlds. Frankly, I could tell you stories for a year, and not convey nearly what I have experienced."

His brow furrowed, and he suddenly looked sad. "Yeah, I could fill a lifetime with stories too."

I felt bad, and reached out putting a hand on his arm. "I have a feeling your stories would be a lot scarier than mine."

He looked down at his shoes for a moment, "maybe we could share some of our stories." He looked back up at me, "I think I would really like to hear about what you've seen. Even if you are delusional." He smirked.

Sam cleared his throat behind me, and I turned to see him holding a giant stack of newspapers. "Ready to get started then?" He asked tentatively.

"Bring it on Sammy." I responded, using the nickname his brother kept using.

He smiled and dropped a stack of papers in my lap, and we started reading again.

By four a.m. we had more questions than answers, I reviewed the things we had discovered. "Okay, so Sy Williams and his wife," I looked back down on the paper I had been using to take notes. "Sarah, move into this house in their fifties. According to this article," I picked up a near by paper. "She went missing less than a year after they moved in. Sounds like it was just like the recent cases. Here one day, and poof, gone the next. Apparently there was a search, but nothing ever turned up, and Sy ended up staying in the house. Like literally, he stopped leaving the house."

"And then he died about a year ago, well according to our gas station gossip." Sam added.

I nodded, "yes, although I can't find anything about the death. No obituary, no news article, nothing. It's like the town wants his death, like his life, just kind of erased. It's sad really, if he is an angry ghost, I can't say I blame him too much."

"Well I think we have found anything useful here we're going to find. Let's clean this up, and head back to the hotel and get some shut eye." Dean climbed to his feet from the couch, and started gathering papers.

We cleaned up our mess, and left through the door we got in through. I re-locked the padlock on the back door, and we started the walk back to the hotel.

We walked quietly, but slowly back to the hotel, each of us lost in our thoughts. "Hey Alice, what do the aliens look like." Sam finally broke the silence. I raised my eye brow in his direction. "I MAY have overheard what you said in the library."

"Well it depends on what kind of alien you are talking about. Some look exactly like us, you would never even know the difference. But some, well... Let's just say there is some pretty strange stuff out there." I looked over at him, to see him hiding a smile behind his hand. "You still don't believe me, do you Sam?"

He shrugged, and wiped the smile from his face, "I'm sorry Alice. It's just that Dean and I have experienced so much stuff. It just seems we would have come across something by now."

"And how do you know you haven't Sam? I would be willing to bet a substantial amount of money, that you have encountered a lot more aliens than you think. I mean what about the cybermen, that was world wide."

Dean scoffed, "Sam was in happy college land when all that went down, he didn't see any of it. I was with my dad, but we missed it too, we were in the middle of nowhere when it happened. You believe it was aliens then? Not the secret government project everyone kept saying it was?"

Now it was my turn to scoff, "is that what they say here?" I stopped in the street, forcing them to turn and face me. I couldn't help the tears that started to form in my eyes. I waved my hand when they both moved toward me, "never mind. It doesn't matter."

I started walking again, but Dean grabbed my arm, "hey. I didn't say I believed that. I guess I just didn't really believe it could be aliens."

"Because you weren't in London. You didn't see what they did there. I lost everything in that war, my entire family. Everything." I looked into his face, not ashamed of my tears anymore.

They both looked at me with pity, but it wasn't warranted. I had spent the last few hours with them, and I could tell that their emotional baggage, was just as heavy as mine. "I'm sorry. It isn't your fault, I don't mean to... It's just that.. Well, that was a rough time for me." I wiped my eyes, and gave them my best smile. "We need to keep moving before that policeman finds us again."

Dean laughed and threw an arm over my shoulder. "Oh I don't know, I can think of worse ways to end this evening." He said with a smile.

I blushed, and slipped out from under his arm, shoving him to the side. "Shut up you. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Haven't you ever heard that?"

He put his hand to his chest, like he was offended. "Is that all it was to you Alice? A '_desperate measure_'", he repeated my words with air quotes. "Well I can't believe that. Do you often go skulking around late at night kissing strangers?"

"Wait what?" Sam said, we seemed to have his attention now.

I laughed out loud at the look on his face, and immediately clamped my hand over my mouth stifling the noise. Dean snorted with laughter, and Sam having no idea what was so funny, was getting frustrated.

"What happened, I missed something didn't I? When you guys were hiding behind the library?"

I was so tired I couldn't stop laughing, and Dean looked over at me and rolled his eyes. "I'm glad it meant so much to you Alice." We had arrived at the hotel, and he held the door open for me.

I wiped my eyes, wet from laughter now, rather than sadness. And whispered, "I'm sorry. I just can't seem to stop laughing. I think I need some sleep."

"Yes honey, I think we all need some sleep."

I looked up to see a very annoyed looking Maggie standing in the doorway of her office in a night gown.

"Maggie? What are you doing up?" I asked, as I looked nervously at the boys.

"I've been waiting for you all. You had me worried sick! I almost called the police, which I was going to do, if you weren't here and in bed by sunrise. Don't you understand how dangerous it is round here?" She scolded like a parent, the relief of seeing us safe, evident on her face.

All three of us looked down at our shoes, and mumbled, "sorry." In one form or another.

She sighed and smiled at us. "Well I shouldn't be too mad, it's nice to see young people having a good time again. Now off to bed with all of you."

"Good night Maggie." I said, and the boys followed suit.

The three of us made our way up to our rooms. Sam turned to me, "good night Alice. It's been an incredibly strange evening. Thank you for your help, see you tomorrow."

He looked from Dean to me, and went into their room, closing the door behind himself.

I opened the door to my room and turned back to Dean. "Thanks for everything. I think together the three of us can figure this out, and hopefully protect some people." I didn't know what else to say. He was standing too close. He was too tall, too handsome. He smelled too good. Damn it I was tired.

"I'm sorry about your family Alice." He said simply, and he bent down and gave me a hug.

"Thank you." I whispered, feeling the lump rise in my throat again. I cleared it, and stepped back from him. "Good night Dean."

"Good night Alice."

I entered my room, and sunk to the floor, letting the tears flow freely now that I was alone.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n. long chapter here, with just a little bit of fluff ;)**

**Thank you so much for the new reviews, and the new followers! You guys make my day!**

Chapter Eight

Sam opened his eyes, but the room was still shrouded in darkness. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and what was going on. He sat up, and went to the window, opening the room darkening curtains to the beautiful sunny day outside.

He was startled by the sound of Dean grunting behind him. "Close that Sam, it's too damn early."

Sam turned as Dean rolled over away from the window, moaning from the other queen sized bed in their room.

"It's after one o'clock Dean. It's time to get up. I didn't think you'd be here this morning anyway." Sam sat at the table in their room and turned on his laptop.

Dean leaned up on one arm, "what do you mean? Where else would I be, going for my early morning jog?"

Sam shrugged, "I guess I just figured you would make your way across the hall, at some point during the night."

"It's not like that Sam. SHE'S not like that." Dean laid back down and closed his eyes.

"What's it like then? Because the two of you seemed pretty friendly last night."

"Leave it alone Sam. She's a girl who's lost people. Just like we have. Plus she's smart, and can help us clear up whatever is going on around here."

"You really believe that then?" Sam asked, looking at Dean with a raised eyebrow.

Dean sat up angrily, "what the hell is your problem with Alice, Sam? I don't get it. Is she eccentric? Yes, but she figured out things last night, she did stuff we couldn't have done on our own. Do I believe she can help us? Yes. She already has, and I suggest you get on board with her, because, in my opinion? We need her."

Sam smirked at Dean, and turned back to his laptop with a shrug.

"Nothing? You're saying nothing now?"

Sam chuckled and turned back to face his brother. "No Dean, I don't need to say anything else. I already proved my theory."

"And what's that?" Dean spit back.

"I don't have a problem with Alice, Dean. In fact, I quite like her. And now I know that you like her too."

"Of course I like her, I didn't make that a secret Sam."

"No Dean, I mean you LIKE her. And I'm guessing you like her quite a bit, seeing as how you didn't sleep with her just for fun last night."

Dean sat speechless, and Sam smiled. It wasn't often his brother was left without words.

* * *

I sat bolt upright in the darkness, it was the same nightmare I had, had countless times. Me screaming for Aiden in the darkness, trying to find him and get us out to safety. But realizing he was gone and I was alone.

I got to my feet, shaking off the frightening feeling, and wiping the sheen of sweat off of my face. I opened the curtains all the way, letting the sunshine stream in and over me, as I stood in it with my eyes closed. "It's just a nightmare Alice. It's over, you have to let it go."

The words the Doctor spoke to me, the first time I awoke screaming on the Tardis. The words I now spoke to myself anytime the dream reared its ugly head. I guess spending time with the brothers the day before, and speaking of my family, had brought thoughts of my own brother to the forefront of my mind.

I went to the bathroom and filled the tub with cool water, sinking myself within it, and allowing the tears for my loved ones to flow. I had to give myself moments like this, they were what kept me from going completely mad. I relived happy memories, and difficult ones as well. And after about an hour, I gathered myself up, and started the day for real.

It was almost two in the afternoon when I tapped on the boys' door. It was quiet inside, and for the first time, I wondered if they already were up and gone without me. I don't know why I hadn't considered they might do that, and now here I was standing outside their door with coffee and doughnuts for all of us, feeling like an idiot.

I was about to go back to my room, and hide the evidence of my foolishness when the door swung open, revealing a shirtless Dean drying his short hair with a towel. I took a deep breath, after taking in his perfect chest right down to his unbuttoned jeans.

"Um, good morning. Of afternoon, you know, whatever." I shook my head to clear it from the cobwebs that seemed to cloud it, as I stumbled over my words. "I brought breakfast. Or lunch, it doesn't matter what you call it really. Is this a bad time?" All the words seemed to be tumbling out simultaneously.

"Perfect timing Alice, I'm starving." Dean responded. As he looked at the big bag from the bakery, the way I was looking at his naked chest.

What the hell was wrong with me? A crush? Is that what this was? I had never had a crush on anyone before, I felt small, and ridiculous, and I HATED it. '_He's just a guy Alice. Like any other guy, now quit being such a girl, and do your damn job._' My little subconscious pep talk seemed to be enough to at least get me inside the door to their room.

I handed Dean the bag, and headed to the table where Sam sat with his laptop. I sat next to him, passing him a cup of coffee as I did so. "So where are we at then?" I asked Sam, completely avoiding any eye contact with Dean, as he sifted through the bag of baked goods I delivered, in my periphery.

"Thanks Alice." Sam said, raising the cup to me, "well I found the address, and there is no current owner. It's completely abandoned, and I haven't found any sign of next of kin, which leads me to believe that all of Sy Williams' things are probably still inside. I think we should start there."

"Nothing like starting your day off with a little breaking and entering." I smirked at Sam.

I felt Dean approach me from behind, and stand directly behind my chair. He leaned over my back looking down at the computer in front of us, leaning a doughnut filled hand on the table in front of me. I could feel the warmth of his chest on my back, and could smell the soap he used in his shower. I gave myself to the count of ten to enjoy the feeling of him being so close to me, and then I got up from the chair, and went to get something from the bag of food for myself.

Dammit, this school girl crush was going to be even more annoying than I anticipated. I needed to get over it, and get over it now. Best way to do that, was to work, solve the case, and move on. "Well lets get going then!" I said with more enthusiasm than I probably should have, as I took a bite of the lemon pastry I held in my hand.

Dean shoved the rest of his doughnut in his mouth, and grabbed a t-shirt off the bed near by. I looked away as he got dressed, heading for the door, with my coffee in one hand, and my pastry in the other.

We got downstairs, and Maggie smiled and told us to have a good day. I stopped at the desk, "Maggie, we are going to be out late again today. But it's nothing for you to worry about. Okay? No staying up all night, and no calling the police, got it?"

She shook her head in defeat, "I know I can't stop y'all from going out and having a good time. It's just that it's so dangerous out there. There are things out there Alice, I know there are. I hide in here, but I'm not a fool. I hear things, whisperings and such."

I felt bad for her, the fear on her face was unhidden. "Those things out there Maggie? I don't want you to worry about those. Sam and Dean here, they know all about how to protect themselves. And me? Well I was trained for this sort of thing by the man who is the star in all those thing's nightmares." I gave her a reassuring smile, and patted her hand. "Have a good evening Maggie. We will see you soon."

She smiled back, a little more relaxed than before. "Okay then. Off you go."

We headed out, and they headed to their car, while I went to my jeep. "Should I just follow you?" I asked, Sam knew where we were going, but I had no clue.

"Nah, just come and ride with us. Sam can ride in the back, and you can have shotgun. Right Sammy?"

"What? Oh, yeah sure thing." Sam responded, completely distracted by looking at his phone.

I reached into the jeep, and pulled out a backpack with some supplies. "Okay, but I insist you ride up front Sam. You are the navigator after all."

I climbed into the backseat before either one of them could argue. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I was trying to keep my distance from Dean.

I sat behind them and listened as they argued about Sam's navigating skills, and what we were going to listen to on the radio for our ten minute drive. I smiled, it reminded me of Aiden, and the ridiculous things we used to fight about. There's nothing like having an over opinionated brother.

We finally turned down a promising road, when I could see what looked like the cemetery in the distance. I pointed it out, and we drove slowly past it.

I had a thing about cemeteries. I found them peaceful and interesting, and this one didn't fail to impress. It wasn't too large, but it had giant trees that had to be a hundred years old. And the tombstones were all completely different. Some stood ten feet tall, while others were flat to the ground. There was even a mausoleum or two. "Wow, it's beautiful." I whispered, almost reverently.

Dean chuckled, "I guess, in it's own way it is."

"The house is there, behind those trees I think." Sam added.

Deal pulled the car down a long driveway, and I knew Sam was right. This definitely was the house, it looked like something straight out of an old horror movie. It stood three stories tall, and was over the top Victorian in style. It had peaks and valleys all over the roof, and I counted at least four chimneys.

In its day, I imagined how stunning it must have been. But now, the paint was peeling, and the shutters hung at odd angles. "This is absolutely incredible." I said. "I would TOTALLY live here." I had a thing for old houses, and it only intensified in my time in England.

I climbed from the car, and the boys did the same. "There is nothing like this in Florida, I'll tell you that much. It makes me miss London." I headed fearlessly up the rickety steps to the front door, and peeked in through the stained glass window at the top. I tried the door knob, but it was locked.

I pulled out my screwdriver and held it up to the large deadbolt above the handle, I heard the reassuring click of the lock snapping open, and I turned the handle.

Nothing.

The door still wouldn't open. "Hm, that's weird." I pressed the button on my screwdriver again, but it didn't change anything, I couldn't get the door to budge.

"Magic wrench got a glitch?" Dean asked, leaning over my shoulder.

"It is a screwdriver," I said holding it up to his face. "And it's sonic. Not magic."

"Riiigghhht...Because magic would be ridiculous."

I elbowed him in the ribs. "It's not my screwdriver, the door is unlocked, there is just something blocking the way. Let's go around back, maybe there is another door."

We made our way around the back of the house, having to fight our way through the overgrown yard. There was a giant garden in the backyard, with a fountain in the middle that looked as though it hadn't run in years. It was on the back porch we made the grisly discovery of how the last owner met his end. With no one left to take the house, the mess was still all here.

"It looks like he fell down the steps here." Sam pointed out the blood on the edge of the back stairs. "And he landed there." He pointed again to where a large pool of blood had collected on the ground, and never been cleaned up.

"It looks like there may have been a struggle." Dean added, pointing to the broken handrail, and broken furniture on the back porch. "You don't fall down some stairs and leave a pool of blood like that unless you've got some kind of injury."

I nodded my head, "I agree.". I walked around the scene, taking in every detail I could see, and started creating a scenario in my head. "So two things could have taken place." I spoke my thoughts to the boys.

"One, he had a scuffle with someone on the porch, he was stabbed or something, and then pushed to the bottom of the stairs. But that seems unlikely to me. There would have had to have been a criminal investigation if they had any evidence that pointed to foul play. And we would have surely found something that pointed that direction."

"So what's theory number two?" Sam asked, walking up the stairs to stand next to me.

"Number two says he was coming from inside the house, headed down the stairs, and the railing broke under his hand. He fell, and must have landed on something sharp. Maybe a rake, or a garden tool of some kind. I mean look around, there is crap laying everywhere. This garden must have been absolutely incredible at some point. But that one would have been listed as an accident, and filed away under, nobody's business."

Dean stood on the ground near where the blood was. It was a good ten feet from the bottom of the stairs. "That's quite a fall, for him to have landed this far from the porch."

I nodded slowly, "yes that's the part that scares me a bit." I turned and looked at the screen door that hung precariously by one hinge.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Because to fall like that he had to have been running." I looked into the house through the back door, "and what is scary enough in there that it makes a terrified agoraphobic run from his own house?"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n. so many nice new reviews. Thank you so much to Katherine, LeeMarie, Random, and Bttlecap. And of course the ever faithful MissPadawan. It makes it easy to continue writing a story, when you know people are enjoying it. :)**

Chapter Nine

The three of us stood there outside the door, it's like there was a silent bet as to who would be brave enough to try the door first.

Dean won, he reached out and opened the broken screen door, only to have the remaining hinge fall off, and the door fall into his arms.

I snorted with laughter, and Dean looked over helplessly at Sam, who helped him lower the door to the ground on the porch. "You okay there buddy?" I asked, patting Dean on the arm.

"Did I forget to mention my Hulk like strength yesterday?" He smiled, and flexed, and suddenly things seemed a lot less scary.

I reached to open the heavy wood inner door, but as expected, it was locked. This time I could see through the window that the door was completely clear, so I used my screwdriver and had a moments victory when the door swung open. Of course that disappeared once I realized we were actually going inside the creepy house.

"We need to stick together. We have no idea what's inside, and we'll be more vulnerable on our own." Sam said, as I walked into a kitchen that had definitely seen better days.

"So no splitting up, like the scooby doo gang then, huh?" I smiled at him over my shoulder.

"Definitely not, since I am sure to end up searching some haunted attic all by myself." He added, as he walked past me, and turned on a flashlight.

I shrugged at Dean, who smiled at me. "Fair enough." I responded.

We did a walk through of the entire house, getting the layout, and looking at what was left behind. The place was messy, but not as bad as you would expect from looking at the outside. Besides the thick coating of dust, everything seemed to be in relative order. Even Sam's haunted attic was organized. It was like Sy lived and took care of the interior, but left everything outside to its own devices.

Until we got to the front living room. It was chaos, and there was a large heavy wooden bookshelf tipped over and wedged under the handle of the front door.

I pointed to it, "guess that's a good reason for the door to not open." I walked over and tried to push the shelf, but it was way too heavy. "Why would he do this? Why block your main exit, and then proceed to run out the back door."

"Maybe he didn't do it. Maybe whatever was in the house with him did, to keep him from getting away." Sam said, as he also tried in vain to push the heavy bookshelf out of the way.

"Well that's a terrifying thought." I added, looking around myself a little more apprehensively.

"Come on, we got one more door to check." Dean said, leading us down the hallway to a door at the end. I opened it, and it creaked like every spooky door does, and opened to a basement staircase.

"Well hellooo creepy ass basement." I unzipped my pack.

I took the flashlight out of my backpack and shined it down the rickety steps. This part of the house had suffered from age, and looked as dilapidated as the outside yard. "Looks like he never went down here. These steps do not look sturdy." I placed one foot on the top stair, checking it's durability, and it groaned under my weight.

"Well we can't go down there yet then." Dean said, and turned to leave.

"Wait a second," I grabbed his arm. "I can, I'll just have to go alone to test the strength of the wood."

"No way Alice." He waved his hand at me. "You are not going down there alone, no splitting up, remember Velma?"

"He's right Alice, it's too dangerous." Sam added.

I rolled my eyes at them, "I'll be fine, and we're not splitting up, because you guys are going to wait right here for me, and risk your limbs coming after me if I get attacked by something." I looked from one to the other, "right?"

Dean shook his head, "I don't like it."

"Well unfortunately for you, I tend to make my own decisions." I went down a step, putting my full weight on the stair, and proving its safety. "See? It's going to be fine."

I went down two more steps, and my foot went completely through the fourth stair. I shrieked a little, and fumbled, but managed to stay on my feet.

"Alice, please don't do this, we'll find another way down." Sam pleaded.

"I've got this, I'm already half way." I was more careful after the broken stair, sticking to the edges, and trying not to put my full weight on any one step.

I made it to the bottom with no more broken stairs, and no broken bones. "I'm calling this a victory so far," I shouted from the bottom of the steps.

"What can you see?" Dean shouted.

I shined the flashlight around me, and almost screamed out loud when I saw someone standing in the opposite side of the room. I chuckled when I realized, it was just a giant mirror.

"Well so far, I see a lot of dust and dirt. About a ton of cobwebs. And a giant mirror, that just about gave me a coronary."

I took a few steps to my left, to look around the corner. "I'm going a little further in, just stay there and don't leave me, okay?" I sounded a little more desperate than I wanted to, but frankly this was totally creeping me out.

"We're not going anywhere. Just keep talking." Dean shouted, "what else can you see."

I did a complete circle of the entire basement. "Nothing." I circled it again, "like literally nothing. There is a mirror, and a couple of household decorations, but nothing else."

"What about the floor, or the ceiling Alice." Sam shouted, "any markings or writing of any kind?"

I shined the flashlight around the ceiling, seeing nothing but floor beams, and cobwebs. I guess I could have used my hand to clear them, but, yeah, no, I wasn't going to do that.

Instead I focused on the floor, and the walls. It was then I noticed it, a bare spot on the floor. Well not bare, still dust covered, but not AS dust covered as the rest. Like something had been sitting there for a long time, and then was moved recently. I went closer and bent down, and placing the flashlight in the ground next to me, I started clearing that section of floor of dust. Sure enough, there was some sort of symbol painted on the floor. It was painted in red, and by the time I uncovered the whole thing, it was about twenty four inches round.

"Alice? Are okay?" Dean shouted, and I heard him walk down a step.

"Stop Dean! That's not safe, I'm fine, I just found something. I'm going to take some pictures, and then I'll come back up."

I stood up and brushed my hands off on my jeans. I opened my backpack, and pulled out a small digital camera, I took a few shots, and then picked up my flashlight. Placing it between my lips, I took random pictures around the room. Making sure to get shots of each wall, the mirror, and the staircase itself.

I could see the relief on the brother's faces as I started to climb back up the stairs. But I stopped on the third step up, seeing something I hadn't noticed on the way down.

I took the flashlight from out of my mouth, pointed it to behind Deans feet on the first step, "go back up a step, I see something behind where you are standing."

Dean climbed back up to the top, and I went up a couple of more stairs. Finding myself in a fairly safe position I lifted the camera and took a picture, of another symbol. This one was actually carved onto the front of the top step. It was similar to the one on the floor, but not exactly the same.

"Interesting, this one is carved into the stairs, like it was there when they were built. We should look around more closely, maybe we missed something."

I climbed to the top, skipping the stair I broke on the way down, and took a deep breath once I was safe. I was shaking a bit, I didn't realize how much that really had frightened me.

"Can I see the pictures Alice?" Sam asked, reaching for the camera. I turned on the view screen and passed him the camera, trying to stop my hands from trembling as I did so.

The boys looked through the pictures, and neither of them recognized either symbol. We did another walk through of the house, this time paying closer attention to the architecture, rather than the decor.

We found three more carved symbols on the staircases going up stairs, and then we went back up into the attic we searched more thoroughly. There was a large rug on the floor of the attic, and as I was searching in the corner, I noticed something underneath the edge.

"Help me lift this rug," I said as I started removing boxes that were sitting on top of it.

Once we cleared everything Dean knelt next to me, and we rolled the carpet out of the way. There was another red painted symbol on the floor, but this one was huge. At least five feet in diameter.

"Uh Dean, take a look." Sam said as he stepped back.

Dean got to his feet, and looked down at the floor. "Well, crap."

"You recognize it then?" I asked, the look on their faces telling me they did. "What is it?"

"It's called a devils trap." Sam responded.

"It's used to trap demons." Dean added, when I still looked confused.

My eyes opened wide as I looked back down again. "Well, crap indeed." I added


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n. confession...this story has taken a turn for the romantic... It wasn't exactly what I invisioned when I started it, but frankly, I like it, so hopefully you guys will too.**

**This is kind of part one, of a two part chapter, of the characters getting to know each other.**

**Anywho, you guys are awesome, as usual, and amazing, as always. Thank you for keeping me motivated! **

Chapter Ten

"Demons? Do you guys have any...experience..with demons?" I looked over at them both, and the just looked at each other.

"Yeah, you could say that." Sam offered. "Let's get out of here for a while. Maybe we should scout the grounds for a bit, and go back to the hotel and try and figure out what these symbols mean."

I didn't ask any more questions at that point. Hell, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. The three of us walked around the grounds, finding more hidden symbols. Some carved into fence posts, some on the outside of the house itself. I took careful pictures of each one, and took lots of picture of the house from every angle. I wandered through the overgrown garden, while they searched the outer grounds for any sign of anything else. I was sitting on the front lawn taking shots of all the windows when Dean approached me.

"Ready to go?" He reached for my hand.

It was getting dark, and clouds that looked incredibly ominous had gathered over head. "Yeah, I think so." I gave him my hand, and he pulled me to my feet, when suddenly there was an insanely loud crack of thunder.

It scared the hell out of me, actually, both of us. He pulled me into his arms, and took a gun from the back waistband of his jeans. He held me tightly against his chest, as if to protect me. And we both looked around us, looking for some unseen danger. I started laughing, "I think it may have been thunder." I said into his chest, my hands clutching his shirt at the waist.

I was hesitant to move, so I waited for him to move. And then he didn't, he just sort of looked down at me, and smiled. "I think Sam is waiting for us in the car." He said.

"Then we should probably head that direction." I added, looking back up at him.

Neither of us moved. Neither of us breathed. We just stood there, staring at each other. His left arm around my waist, his right hanging limply at his side, with the gun still in his hand. My heart was pounding in my chest. He tipped his head toward me a minuscule amount.

And then the sky opened up, and the rain poured down on top of us. He chuckled, replaced his gun and we ran to the car. I climbed into the back seat, my breathing was heavy and my shirt already soaked from the rain.

Sam sat in the passenger seat, talking on his phone to someone.

Dean climbed in the front, and passed me his leather jacket that was sitting on the seat next to Sam, when he saw me shivering in the rear view mirror. I smiled and slipped my arms in the sleeves, wearing it backwards. I brought my knees to my chest, and tucked my whole body within its warmth. I could smell his soap from this morning, and his cologne coming from it. And I couldn't keep myself from inhaling deeply.

I looked back up, to see him watching me in the mirror. And he didn't take his eyes off me as he spoke to Sam, when his call ended.

"So what did Bobby have to say?" He asked.

Sam sighed, "well unfortunately he didn't seem to recognize the symbols, I sent him a couple pictures from my phone. I told him about the big one in the basement, and he wants to see a picture of that one. So I'll send that as soon as we get back. Other than that, he is going to look into it."

His eyes finally left mine, to look at his brother. "So back to the hotel then? Because I'm starving, maybe we should get food."

"Back to the hotel, and then we can go get food Dean. I need to get a better look at the pictures."

"And I could use a shower, that basement was seriously filthy." I added.

He raised his hands in surrender, "fine. Back to the hotel, for a shower and to check out the pictures. Then food." He pointed at us, to let us know he meant business. "Maybe back at that bar, they had good burgers there."

"Salad wasn't bad either, considering it was a bar." Sam added, looking down at his phone.

Dean pulled out onto the road. "Freaking rabbit food, eat something real Sam, then you can be a food critic."

They argued about food as we drove along, I rested my chin on my knees and smiled as I listened.

"What do you say Alice, burgers, or salad?" Dean asked, looking back at me through the mirror.

He was testing me, his expectant face was too cute. "Tacos." I responded simply.

He shrugged, "I can respect that." And the argument between them continued.

I laughed as they bickered about the nutritional benefits of onion rings, and I had a realization as I listened. I had known them for little more than a day, and they were already two of my favorite people on this planet. There was an unspoken connection of loss, and experiences no one else would understand. I couldn't help but smile as I recognized that I had finally made friends, the Doctor would be happy.

I was content for the first time in a very long time, despite the mystery we were working to solve.

When we reached the hotel I took more time getting ready, and found myself trying on more than one outfit and actually putting on makeup.

It was time for me to accept that I liked Dean. There was nothing wrong with that... Was there? '_No, stop Alice, it's nice to find someone that actually has some things in common with you. Even if it is just weird stuff_.' Sometimes the voice in my head sounded exactly like the Doctor, I was okay with that. It made me feel a little less crazy about talking to myself.

I finally settled on a pair of jeans that were too tight for my own good, and a pink silky tank top that my grandmother hated, because it didn't really have a back. I had started doing my hair, but realized I was probably overdoing things a bit. So I just left it hanging loose down my back.

I was feeling a little ridiculous as I knocked on their door, clutching Dean's leather jacket to my chest. Was I throwing myself at this guy? I had never done anything like this before, and frankly I had no idea what I was doing. I was about to turn and run back into my room, put my ponytail back in, wipe off some of this makeup, and put on what my grandma would call a proper shirt. But I was too late. The door opened to no one, as Dean had turned after opening it to say something to Sam.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Sam looked over his shoulder, saw me, and then did one of those double takes people do in the movies. "Uh yeah, definitely sure."

"Okay your loss I guess. I'll bring you back some of your rabbit food." Dean finished his sentence, and then turned back to the door. When he saw me, he stopped. I saw him visibly swallow, and look at me from my head to my toes.

I had no idea what he was thinking, and it terrified me. "Um, here's your jacket. Thanks for letting me use it." I handed it to him, and he took it without looking away from my face.

"Thanks." He seemed to shake himself a bit, "uh, Sam is going to stay and do some work. Go through the pictures you took, and see if he can find anything new. So it's...um..just us, if that works for you?"

I was not prepared for that. Now suddenly it felt like a date, and I was terrible at those. But I just smiled, "sure, that's fine. "Are you sure Sam?" I asked, almost hoping he would change his mind.

But he smiled at me, and the glint in his eyes was unmistakeable. "I'm sure Alice. I'll see you guys when you get back."

"Okay." We headed downstairs, and I was grateful that Maggie was nowhere to be seen. I didn't need any commentary at this point. I was kind of freaking out on the inside.

But it turned out that my nervousness was completely unnecessary. We talked non stop all the way to the bar, about everything from music to his car.

By the time we got there I was completely at ease. He opened the door for me, and walked me to a small booth that was in the very back corner. He waited for me to sit, and then slid into the bench across from me. "Originally it belonged to my dad. But he gave it to me when I was old enough to drive it, so it's kind of like part of the family."

A smiling waitress approached the table, and then she noticed me and the smile slipped a bit. "Why Agent Smith, how good to see you back again so soon."

She had a thick southern accent, and a giant wad of gum in her mouth. She would have been quite beautiful, if she hadn't been trying so hard.

"And where is your partner this evening?" She asked, completely ignoring me.

Dean smiled back at her, "back at the hotel working. Can't get him to stop for anything. Even one of your amazing burgers, which is what I will be having."

He motioned to me, I had glanced at the menu on the table, but only read the first page. "Burger for me too please. With onion rings." I added, giving Dean a wink.

"Yeah, make that two onion rings." He added.

She smiled at him, and only him again. "And what can I get you to drink sweetheart?"

"Beer please. What about you Alice, what do you want?"

I cleared my throat, to actually get her to look in my direction. "Diet Coke please."

She wrote it down without a word, and turned back to Dean. "I'll be right back with your beer." She smiled, and walked away.

"Diet Coke?" He asked, an eyebrow quirked.

I looked down at my hands, and then realized that I had nothing to be embarrassed about. "I don't drink." I stated, looking back up into his eyes. "It's not like I haven't or anything, I just choose not to. I don't like having my senses dulled like that. And I'm kind of a depressing drunk, from what I have heard."

He chuckled, "I don't know Alice. I think I might like to see you with your defenses down a bit." He leaned forward over the table, "I bet I could get you to do some pretty crazy stuff." He whispered with a smirk.

I blushed to my toes, as he sat back when our southern belle sat the drinks in front of us. She sat mine a bit more aggressively, and shot me another look that spoke to how unhappy she was, that I was here with Dean.

I smiled brightly up at her, "thanks so much."

She ignored me, again, and handed Dean his beer. "Here you are handsome. Let me know if I can get you anything else."

I chuckled as she walked away, Dean looked at her from over his shoulder. Then he turned back to me, and leaned forward again. "It's so weird. I remember her being a lot nicer when we were here yesterday."

I snorted with laughter, and then looked at my drink. "She probably spit into this, didn't she?"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n. another chapter so soon? I know right? I love writing the dialogue filled chapters. I feel more in my element, than when I write the action sequences. **

**Conclusion? This chapter happened quickly, and I really like it. I hope you guys do as well.**

**Love to my reviewers as always... :)**

Chapter Eleven

We had been talking for a while when I finally asked. I fidgeted with an onion ring, unsure of how he was going to react. "Dean, when did you and Sam lose your dad?"

He swallowed the bite he had taken a moment before, and took a bit swig of his drink. "A few months ago."

I sat quietly, not sure if he was going to elaborate or not. He looked down at his food, and then back up at me. "It was my fault. He died because of me."

"Explain." It was all I could think of to say. I wasn't going to argue with him, I know how it feels to feel responsible for someone's death. Someone saying you're not, doesn't relieve the guilt.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? This story goes back a long way, to really understand it, I mean."

"I'm not in a hurry, are you?"

He pushed his plate away, and took a deep breath. And then started talking about their mother. I got teary as he spoke of their father going off the deep end after she was killed. How he dragged them all over the country, teaching them to hunt monsters.

"Sam tried to have a normal life for a while. It didn't work out, I guess the two of us were just always destined to be what we are." He looked down at his empty mug, and pushed it to the edge of the table. "I lost track of my dad for a while, that's how Sam got dragged back in. We found him again, but it didn't end well."

Our ever present waitress returned to take Dean's glass, but he didn't even notice. "Can I get you another?" She asked him.

He looked up at her, just realizing she was there. "Sorry, what?"

I reached across the table, and put my hand over his. "I think he's good. Maybe a cup of coffee or something?"

He nodded, "yeah, that would be good. Thanks."

She left, and came back with the coffee, but he didn't even notice. He started talking about the car accident, and the deal their father made with the demon to save his life.

I mixed his coffee the way he had that morning, and slid it in front of him. He looked down at it, and took the warm cup in his hands. "If I hadn't have been hurt in that accident, my dad would still be alive."

He took a drink, and held the cup up to me, "thanks, it's perfect."

I smiled. "You're welcome."

We sat in silence for a few moments. Both of us lost in our memories. "I still have nightmares about losing Aiden."

"Aiden?"

I nodded, "my big brother. My dad gave his life for me too, and Aiden's. But I ended up losing him too. One minute he had my hand and we were running, the next he was being yanked away from me. I couldn't find him, but I could hear him screaming for me to keep running. So I did. I hate myself a little bit everyday for that moment."

"You only did what you had to do, to survive."

I chuckled darkly, "huh, that is almost exactly what the Doctor said to me." I reached my hand back out onto the table, and he reached out and took it. His thumb running over the back of my knuckles. I looked into his eyes, his too green eyes, and told him what my Doctor told me. "There was nothing you could have done you know. Most dad's would give their lives for their kids. Neither of us got to make that choice, they made it for us. Our job is to make sure they didn't do it in vain."

"You're a smart girl Alice. You made me feel better in one evening, then anyone else has been able to in months." He finished his coffee, and dropped some cash onto the table. "What do you say we get out of here, and you tell me all about this Doctor friend of yours?"

"He is definitely a happier subject. I would love to tell you all about him."

"Then let's get Sam's rabbit food and get the hell out of here."

As we drove back to the hotel I explained how I met the Doctor. I told him all about the Tardis, and the pink beach. And how every year on my birthday he comes back for me, and takes me anywhere, and everywhere I want to go.

We had been sitting in the parking spot in front of the bakery for a while, as I told him stories. "So he really is an alien then?"

I smiled, "yes. He is from Gallifrey."

"Did he take you there?"

I shook my head, "no. It's gone now. He doesn't really like to talk about it, there was a war. He is all that is left."

"That's got to be lonely. I mean Sam is a pain in the butt sometimes, but at least I'm not by myself." He seemed to realize what he had said, "Oh geez Alice. I'm an idiot, I'm sorry, that was beyond insensitive."

I patted him playfully on the arm, "it's fine Dean. That's why the Doctor has friends like me, and why I have him. Neither of us is all alone, if we really don't want to be."

He grabbed my hand, before I could pull it away. He intertwined his fingers with mine. "I think you are one of the bravest women I've ever met Alice." He reached across with his left hand, and lightly brushed the hair from my face. He ran his thumb along my cheek, resting his hand on my neck. "You don't have to rely on just the Doctor anymore Alice. You have us now too, I hope you know that."

A tear slipped from my eye, and ran down my cheek. He wiped it with his hand, and softly brushed his thumb across my lips.

For just a second, time stood still. It was just us, not being alone. Not being hunted, or hunting. Just sitting there together. The rain had started again, it pounded on the car windows.

Without thinking I slid across the seat, and into his arms. He pulled me across his lap, and held me against his chest. I laid there and listened to his heartbeat in time with the rain, while he ran his hand up and down my back. His hand was warm against my skin.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, he fished it out. He looked down at me, "it's Sam." I laid back against his chest and closed my eyes, as he wrapped his arm back around me.

He hit the speaker button, "Sam? Everything okay?"

"Dean? Where are you guys? I need to show you some of these pictures, probably better if you see them before Alice, it's going to freak her out."

I opened my eyes, and sat up at that. "Um Sam." Dean started, but Sam interrupted him.

"It's some of the best picture evidence of a ghost I've ever seen. It was right next to her too."

"Sam!" Dean said, loudly. Looking over at what I can only guess was a horrified look on my face. "Alice can hear you, you idiot."

"Ohhhh, hey Alice. Sorry. Yeah, you guys need to get back here. Also, I'm starving."

"Well I kind of feel like throwing your food out the window right now."

I grabbed the phone, "it's fine Sam. We just got here, we'll be in, in a second." I handed the phone back to Dean.

He simply held it up, and said "idiot." And then hung up on him. "Sorry Alice. It's going to be okay, there is nothing to be afraid of."

I nodded and smiled, "I believe you, I'm just very out of my element here."

"Would you be less scared if it was an alien of some kind?" He chuckled.

"Depending on what kind, yes. Yes, I would be." I opened the car door, the rain had slowed to a drizzle.

"Here Alice, take this." He handed me his coat again, and I slipped it on before I climbed out of the car.

I walked over to my jeep, unlocking it and taking a coat off the back seat. "I guess I should keep one of my own nearby so I don't have to keep stealing yours."

I turned to see him standing right next to me. He slipped the arm that wasn't holding the bag of Sam's dinner around my waist, inside the coat. His hand resting on the naked flesh of my lower back. My skin tingled at his touch. '_My grandma may have been right about this shirt_', I thought for a second, but the thought was overcome by his closeness.

"I like seeing you in my coat. Feel free to leave yours in the car." He leaned down and spoke the words right by my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

I reached for his hand, and started pulling him toward the hotel. "You are an encourage-able flirt Dean Winchester."

He had planned on kissing me, I could tell that much. But I wasn't sure I was quite ready for that. I know it seems unfair, since I kissed him first. But this was different, and frankly I wasn't sure if it was a good idea. So instead I lead him inside the brightly lit hotel, and out of the dark romantic rain.

"Evening kiddos!" Maggie smiled at us from her desk, where she sat filling out paperwork. "How was your evening? Did you get caught in the storm?" She looked at me wearing Dean's coat, his hand still in mine.

I felt my skin flush as she winked at me. "We stayed mostly dry, thank you Maggie. Now we are going to take Sam his dinner." I pointed upstairs.

She nodded, "you all have a good evening."

"You too ma'am." Dean replied, tipping his head toward her, and walking me up the stairs.

I didn't look over my shoulder, but I could feel her smug stare right in the center of our tightly held hands.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n. you guys, I'm on a roll. Another day, and another new chapter! This story has become so much fun, it has kind of taken over my life... Send condolences to my husband...**

**Anywho, more amazing reviewers, and I love you. And LeeMarie, you always ask questions that make me think. Keep doing that, it keeps me thinking... :)**

Chapter Twelve

Dean passed Sam his food, and leaned over the laptop. "Alright, let's see it."

Sam looked over his shoulder at me. "I am so sorry Alice. I didn't know you could hear me. You don't have to look, if you don't want to. It might be kind of...unsettling."

I sat on the edge of the bed behind me, "I think I want to see. I just hope you guys are troopers when I have to sleep in here on the couch, because I'm too scared to be alone."

Sam chuckled, and turned the laptop so I could see it. "I'll start with this one." He clicked through a few pictures to one of the ones I took while sitting on the front lawn.

It was one of the second story windows. I leaned forward, and at first I didn't understand what the big deal was. But then I saw her, she was off to one side, almost peeking out of the window.

"Zoom in Sammy." Dean instructed, and Sam reached for the mouse.

Her hair was short, and styled like an older woman. She was looking directly at the camera, as if she was watching me take the shots. "You think she's a ghost?" I asked, my voice a bit shaky.

"Well she wasn't there when we were inside the house." Sam said, I heard the trepidation in his voice, he was afraid of scaring me.

I smiled. "I'm okay Sam. Believe me, I've seen my share of scary things."

He nodded his head, "well there are a couple other shots that have a strange mist in them." He flipped through a couple more shots within the house, sure enough there was a gray cloud covering parts of them.

Now I was intrigued, I moved closer the computer, kneeling on the floor in front of it. "That is so weird, nothing there when I took the pictures, and now this." I reached my hand up and touched the screen.

Sam took a deep breath. "One more Alice. Are you ready?" He looked down at me, his eyebrow raised.

"Yes, let's see it." I said with confidence. How bad could it be?

I wasn't prepared, he brought the picture up on the screen, and zoomed in. I fell backwards, and crab walked back to the bed. Had it been taller, I would have crawled underneath it. I tried to take a breath, but it came out in more of a whimper.

Dean was immediately at my side, "it's okay Alice." He wrapped an arm around my shaking body. "She didn't hurt you, so it seems she was just trying to scare you."

"Mission accomplished." I whispered. I climbed back to my knees, and creeped back over to the computer, forcing myself to look at the image again.

"You don't have to look Alice." Sam said softly, as he tried to turn the laptop away.

I grabbed his arm, "it's okay Sam. I need to see it."

It was one of the shots I took in the basement. It was just a basement wall, and that is all it would have been, if not for that damned mirror. The mirror was off to the side, I could see my own reflection in it as I stood there with the camera.

She was behind me, RIGHT behind me. Her arms reaching for me, her mouth opened hugely wide in a silent scream. Her eyes were black holes, and her fingers almost looked talon like.

I sat and looked at it, trying to see if I could make myself believe it was something other than what it was. "Maybe she was trying to say something." I murmured, almost to myself.

I felt Dean kneel behind me. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me back into his chest. "Maybe. There is no way to know for sure."

"We have to go back." I couldn't believe the words, even as they were coming out of my own mouth. "We have to see if we can help her."

"She's right, we have to go back. If this woman has anything to do with the disappearances, we need to stop her." Sam said.

I felt Dean nod, and then he rested his chin on the top of my head. "We can go without you Alice. Sam and I."

I sat up and turned around, "no. I need to do this." I motioned to the picture, still haunting me from the screen. "She needs help. Whether she's crazy or not, she was a person at one point. We have to do something."

"Get rid of the picture Sammy. What about the symbols, any information about those?"

Sam clicked another picture, and I couldn't help but be relieved the frightening image was gone. He brought up the large symbol from the basement, and the ones from the staircases.

"We recognized the devils trap, and there were a couple more along those same lines, that we found outside. But these," he motioned to the screen. "I have no idea. I can't find anything, nothing online, nothing from Bobby. And even dad's journal has nothing even close." He picked up an old leather bound book, that was barely holding together.

"What about the Doctor Alice? Would this be something he would know about?" Dean asked.

I got to my feet, "I am so stupid. Of course he would! He knows everything. Be right back."

I ran back to my room, grabbed my backpack and ran back across the hall. Yep, definitely not staying alone tonight. Just doing that alone creeped me out.

I sat back on the bed, and dug through my backpack until I found it. My birthday cell phone. I hadn't used it yet, I had never had a need to. I looked down at it, and pressed the button to bring it to life. "I don't know if I can send pictures or not, so I'll just have to call him, and hope he is somewhere he can answer it."

"Wait a second," Dean said, swiping the phone from my hand. "Are you saying this phone can call outer space?"

I shrugged, "I guess so. He told me it would reach him."

Sam waved his hands, "hello? What are you talking about? Your Doctor friend is in space?"

"Oh yeah, sorry Sam. I forgot you didn't know. The Doctor is an alien." I said simply, and Sam gave me the 'you're being crazy' look again.

I took the phone back from Dean, and walked over to where Sam sat. I put a hand on his shoulder, "you trust me Sam, right?"

He smiled, "yeah Alice. I trust you. Call him, there is nothing I want to do more tonight, than talk on a space cell phone, to an alien."

He was teasing me, but I could still hear the disbelief in his voice. Who was I to judge? I didn't think ghosts existed, and now I knew for sure they were real.

I slid the laptop over, and sat up on the table. Sam got out his salad and started eating, while I fidgeted with the phone.

"I'm not quite sure how it works." I admitted. "I haven't had it very long, and this is the first time I am actually using it."

Dean stood next to me, as I tapped through the menus. He reached over, and tapped a contacts list icon, and then chuckled when he saw the entries.

It was empty, save for the one contact space that existed. And the space said, '_The Doctor, and you remember Alice Temple, no take out orders.'_

I smiled, and tapped his name and waited. At first nothing happened, I held the phone to my ear, but didn't hear anything. I looked down at the screen in disappointment, "maybe he can't get calls wherever he is."

But then the screen blinked to life. It was shaky, and I saw the inside of the Tardis. "Doctor?" I said into the phone, looking at the screen.

I heard him yelling in the background. "Alice!? One second. Just you wait one second. Don't you move a muscle, I am heading that way, and..." Then his smiling face popped up on the screen.

He straightened his glasses, and gave a great big smile. "Alice Temple! How is my favorite human!"

I smiled, and my heart soared at seeing his face. Suddenly I heard a voice from beside him, "Oy, I'm a human, and literally right here."

He turned, "oh quiet, she's my favorite human that's actually ON earth. How's that?"

"Better. Now shove over so I can say hello." A beautiful red headed woman, slid into view next to the Doctor on my screen.

I smiled at her, "hello, I'm Alice."

"Nice to meet you Alice, I'm Donna."

"The bride!?" I said to the Doctor.

He nodded, "the one and only. She found me a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to shake her since."

The Doctor tilted his glasses down his nose, and leaned closer to the screen. "Now hold on a second there Alice. You have someone sitting next to you too, did you know this?"

I looked over at Dean, and he leaned into view of the screen. "Yes, I did know. I have successfully made some friends Doctor. This is Dean."

Dean waved awkwardly, "hey there."

I turned the phone toward Sam, "and this is Sam."

Sam waved, and nodded, his mouth full of food, that he had stopped chewing in surprise.

I turned the phone back around, to see the smile had slipped from his face. "Doctor? What is it?"

He sat back in his chair. "Leave it to you Alice. Do you know how many people there are on your planet? Do you? I could do the math, but frankly I'm not in the mood."

"What is wrong with you?" I asked, he was obviously agitated.

"It's like you have a gift Alice. A crazy, dangerous gift. I gave you one job, ONE Alice. Find some friends. That was it, and now here you are with... Oh I can't even say it out loud. Here you are, with the _WINCHESTERS?_" He did a face palm, "seriously Alice, I can't leave you alone for a second, can I?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Wait a second, you know them? Sam and Dean?" I looked at Dean who had a look of absolute confusion on his face, and then at Sam, who had just managed to swallow the food in his mouth.

The Doctor held his hand up, and wiggled it back and forth. "Ehhh... Well no, not exactly. Or directly I guess I should say. I mean, it's complicated Alice. Let's just say I have been keeping an eye on them, since their family has had a nasty way of getting themselves into trouble for a very long time. But that is not the point Alice Temple." He pointed at me, "the point is, how did you find yourself grouped up with people who are probably going to, at the very least, get you caught up in something dangerous? What is wrong with making friends from school, or how about a NORMAL job Alice?"

"Please, you do not get to lecture me about what's normal." I rolled my eyes at him, "besides, you don't get to be mad at me, because I am mad at you. Ghosts? Why did you not tell me there were real ghosts?"

He rubbed his eyes under his glasses and sighed. "Alice, there are a multitude of creatures I have not informed you of. I guess I had always hoped you wouldn't have to find out abut them. Your life has had enough monsters in it."

I felt badly for getting angry, he was right. "I'm sorry. I know you only do what you think is best for me. But I like what I do, Doctor. And it WAS you that taught me how to do it, so really you can't be too surprised."

He nodded in resignation. "I understand, tell me, what is it that you all are 'hunting' as the Winchesters are so fond of calling it." He used the word hunting with distaste, using air quotes as he said it.

I gave him a brief explanation of the case, Dean and Sam filling in anything I missed. I then asked him to look at the symbols.

"Let's see them." He leaned closer to the screen. Pushing his glasses up on his nose as he did.

I aimed the phone at the laptop, and Sam clicked through the few pictures we had, ending with the large symbol from the floor.

When I turned the phone back to face me, he had a worried look on his face. "You said these were in the house?"

I nodded, "yes, do you know what they are Doctor?"

"Yes, I think I do. Alice, is there somewhere you can go that we can talk. Alone, I mean."

I was confused. "Um, yeah. I'll go to my room. Hold on."

"I'll be right back," I told the boys, and headed across the hall to my room. Whatever he had to say, I was guessing it wasn't good news.

* * *

Dean watched her leave, and then ran to the door, pressing his ear up against it.

"What are you doing?" Sam chuckled, "she said she was going to her room. You aren't going to be able to hear anything.

Dean stood tall, and flexed his fingers. "I just don't like it. Why would he need to talk to her alone. What is he saying about me?"

Sam leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. "Okay, two things. Number one, what makes you think he is talking about you? And two, we just talked to an alien! You don't have anything to say about that? And he KNOWS us Dean. That doesn't freak you out just a little bit?"

Dean paced the room. "Pffft, an alien. That guy does not look like an alien." He pointed at the door. "He looked way too..." He stopped pacing, and started clenching his fists. "I don't know, human. And Alice, did you see how happy she was, just to see him? I don't know, I just..."

Sam laughed, and sat forward. "Wait a second Dean, are you jealous?"

"His hair, Sam. Did you see his hair? And the accent?" He motioned toward the door again. "What normal girl spends time with a guy that looks and sounds like that, and doesn't fall in love with him. Hell, I only saw him for a minute and I have a crush on him."

"Dean calm down, Alice likes you, a blind man could see that. Man, your date must have gone really well, you are totally falling for her."

"No. No I'm not. And it wasn't a date, it was just us going to get dinner." He paused his rant, "it was nice though. She gets me Sam, I haven't met anyone that gets me for a very long time."

Sam was happy to see his brother like this. The ranting and all, it meant he cared about something. And he hadn't seen this side of Dean since their dad died. "Listen Dean, you have nothing to worry about. Has she said anything that makes it sound like her relationship with the Doctor, is anything but a friendship?"

Just then the door opened and Alice came back in the room, still talking to the phone. "No Sam, but I am pretty sure I can't compete with a time traveling alien, with freaking awesome hair."

* * *

I took the phone to my room, but left the door open a bit. I was really not that excited about being alone right now. "Okay spill it." I said once I was clear. "What are the symbols, what do they mean?"

"I can't tell you."

"What?" I scoffed, "you had me leave the room, to tell me, you can't tell me?"

"Alice, those symbols are something that are going to be very important to those boys." He held up a hand, when I opened my mouth to interrupt. "HOWEVER." He continued, "it won't be for a while. I can't tell them about the symbols, because it's not something they should know about yet. But I think I can confidently say, they have nothing to so with the missing people you are looking for. This is all something Sam and Dean will be faced with in time, but not now."

"I don't understand why you can't at least tell me? Then I can confidently say I don't think they are relevant in the case." I noticed he was alone, Donna must have left to give us some privacy.

"Alice, I am saying it, and you trust me correct?" I nodded my head, and he continued. "I could tell you everything, but I'm not going to, not yet. You like him, I can tell, and I don't want you to be tempted to tell him things he shouldn't know."

Awkward..."um what do you mean?"

"I mean you like the shorter Winchester trouble makers. From the looks of things, I'd say he likes you too. Be careful Alice, those boys have a very colorful past."

I got up, and headed back to the other room. "Is there anything else?" I asked, before I opened the door.

"No, I'm just concerned for your safety. I know I taught you well Alice, but the monsters the Winchesters deal in, are a whole different world."

I opened the door to the boys' room and walked in to see them having a discussion of their own. "Thank you Doctor. I'll keep you updated. We are going back to the house tomorrow, and to the cemetery that is next door to try and figure out what is going on."

"Be careful Alice. Remember what I said." He paused for a moment.

"I will, I promise. Love you." I said it without thought, he was my family, and I did love him.

"Yes, yes. Quite right." He smiled, and leaned forward, severing our connection.

I turned to the boys, "well he wouldn't exactly tell me what the symbols were, but he seems confident they aren't relevant to our case. It seems we have more investigative work to do."

I flopped down on the nearest bed, and put one of the pillows over my face. It must have been Dean's bed, the pillow smelled like him. I moved it, and tucked it under my head. I looked at the clock on the night stand. "Holy crap it's after one a.m. No wonder I am so tired." I glanced over to see them both staring at me. "What? Did I do something embarrassing, and not notice? I hate it when I do that."

"No, I guess I'm just surprised you would just take his word for it with no explanation." Sam said.

I shrugged, "of course I would. I trust him."

"And love him too apparently." Dean added. "I didn't realize you were so...attached to him."

I smiled, was I sensing some jealousy? "I do love him Dean. Besides my grandparents, he is the only family I have had for the last five years. He watches out for me, and reminds me of my dad in a lot of ways." Hopefully that would put any jealousy to rest, if there really was any.

I saw his shoulders visibly relax, and felt butterflies in my stomach at the smile he gave me. "Well I guess we have work to do then. I'll work with dad's journal, search for something that kidnaps people. I think you should see if you can find out some more about the woman who lived in the house Sam, maybe she is our ghost."

"And what about me?" I asked.

Dean sat next to me, after pulling some papers from the journal, and retrieving a giant leather bound book from a backpack on the floor. "Here you take these, and help me." He sat on the floor next to me, his back to the bed.

I laid on my side, my head propped up on my arm. Working just inches from where his head was bent over his Father's journal. I looked through the papers he gave me, and the giant book. "Well if I wasn't already afraid of what was happening, all the things in this book would push me over the edge. Have you guys ever heard of a Wendigo? They eat people?! Come on, is this for real?"

They two of them just stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. I reached over and grasped Dean's hair, pulling his head back so I could see his face. "Are you serious? You've seen one?"

He cleared his throat, "actually.."

"Dean, come on she doesn't need to hear that." Sam spoke up.

I looked back down at his face, my brow furrowed, "tell me."

"She deserves to know who we are Sam." He said softly, as he looked up into my face. he turned to face me, "Sam and I hunted a Wendigo, just over a year ago. It was in the forest, we killed it, but not before it killed people. That's why we do this, to save the ones we can." He seemed to be almost pleading for me to understand, and I did, even though killing things was not exactly the Doctor's style.

I nodded my head, and went back to my reading. We all got quiet as we searched, and I found myself getting drowsy. I tried to keep my eyes open, but eventually my head fell onto the book, and I fell asleep, and into one of my nightmares.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/n. I wish I could just write chapters like this over, and over. I love to write fluff! If only there didn't need to be some sort of drama! Curse you angst monster!**

**If you can't tell, this is a mushy chapter. But probably the last one for a while, as the mystery kicks back in, in the next chapter.**

**To my amazing reviewers, I cannot explain what your kind words do for me. They give me confidence, the confidence I need to keep going. And maybe just a little needed boost to the ego now and then. :)**

**This chapter is dedicated to you guys. It's my favorite chapter so far.**

Chapter Fourteen

It was dark, and noisy. I had dreamt it so many times, I knew what was going to happen next. I turned to see Aiden being dragged away screaming my name. "Run Alice! Keep going!" I was sobbing, and turned to run, but couldn't move. As always, I was frozen in place.

But this time things were different. Instead of cybermen surrounding me, I saw the face of the ghostly woman from the photograph. Everywhere I turned, there she was. And then I realized it was because I was surrounded by mirrors.

She reached for me, through the mirrors. Her hands coming within inches of grabbing me. I screamed for help, and she laughed at me.

I searched for a way out, a way to get free. But the mirrors made it impossible to tell where I was going.

I sunk to the floor in total defeat. Ready to give myself over to her. "Doctor, why won't you come for me?" I sobbed. "Sam? Dean? Please, someone help me." I was whimpering.

I heard someone saying my name, "Dean?" I called out, "is that you? Please find me, I'm scared, and I don't want to do this alone anymore."

"Alice!" I heard it again, louder this time.

"Alice, wake up!"

My eyes flew open, and I sat straight up. Dean's hands were on my shoulders. I was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. He pulled me into his arms.

"Wake up Alice, everything is okay. I'm here, you're safe."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and held to him tightly. "Dean?"

"Yes Alice, it's me. I've got you."

"Don't let me go okay?" I whimpered.

"Never Alice. I'll never let anything hurt you, I promise."

I finally managed to stop myself from crying, but the shaking continued. It usually did for a while.

I sat up and looked around myself but couldn't see much. "Why is it so dark in here?" I asked.

"Because it's the middle of the night, and we were sleeping." He smiled, and tucked my loose hair behind my ears. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, "yeah, sorry about that. It happens sometimes." I wiped my eyes, and got to my feet, my hand still resting on his shoulder, reassuring myself I wasn't all alone. "I'm going to go to the bathroom for a second."

"Okay." He said softly, as I let go of him.

I went into their bathroom, and splashed cold water on my face. I cleaned myself up, and swished some of the mouthwash they had sitting on the counter in my mouth. "Pull yourself together Alice. It's just a dream." I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and shivered thinking of the woman in the picture.

I walked back out, and he had turned on the lamp on the table. I looked to the bed I had been laying on. The book I had fallen asleep on, had been replaced by a pillow, and someone had covered me with a blanket.

I was assuming it was the man sitting there waiting for me. He was wearing only his jeans, his T-shirt laying across the back of the chair at the small table. And we were all alone.

"Where's Sam?" I asked, trying to be casual, even though my whole body was still trembling inside.

"He's across the hall in your bed. You fell asleep pretty hard, and we didn't want to wake you."

He sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard, his legs crossed in front of him. I stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed, completely embarrassed by what had happened. "I'm so sorry...I don't know how to stop the nightmares." A single tear slipped down my cheek, I quickly wiped it away.

He held his hand out, "come here Alice. You don't need to be sorry, I've had my share of nightmares, believe me."

I walked around the side of the bed, and took his hand. "Want to lay down by me for a while?" He asked, carefully.

I did, I really, really, did. But I wasn't sure I should. Instead I sat next to him, "Dean, do you do this a lot?"

He looked confused, "do what?"

I laughed a bit, I had no idea how to ask the questions I wanted to ask. "Rescue damsels in distress, and then invite them to your bed?" I quickly realized how that sounded, "not that it's any of my business. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

I got back to my feet, but he kept hold on my hand and pulled me back. "I'm not going to pretend I don't know what you mean. And I'm not going to lie and say you're the first."

Well THIS was going well. '_Way to go Alice. Now you are going to have too much information.'_ I looked down at my feet, not knowing how to respond.

"Sit down Alice, please?" I sat next to his legs, facing him, my hand still gripped in his. "Your not the first, but you are different. Special."

He paused for a moment, "why does everything I say to you sound like a pick up line? Geez, you have a knack of making me feel like a teenager again Alice." He looked down at our hands, and ran his thumb over mine.

"I like you. Probably a lot more than I should. Sam and I, our life is dangerous, even toxic in some ways. When I think about putting you in that kind of danger," he reached up and ran his hand over my cheek, letting it come to rest on my neck. "Frankly, it kind of makes me want to throw up."

"I'm a grown woman Dean, and I've seen my share of danger. That isn't the issue for me. It's just that..." Oh my gosh, this was so awkward and embarrassing. I didn't know how to tell him. I looked down, away from his eyes. "Well, a guy like you expects a certain amount of...experience. And I...well, I don't have that."

I got to my feet, "you know what, this is silly, I'm just going to go back to my room. I'll sleep on the couch or something." I pulled my hand from his grasp, and headed for the door.

He was on his feet before I got five steps from him. He grabbed my arm, and swung me around facing him. My hands were resting on his naked chest, as he pulled me to him

"Don't leave me here Alice. Please." He rested his forehead on mine, and closed his eyes. "I don't care about your so called experience, all I know, is that I can count on less than one hand, the number of times I have felt this way."

For a moment I allowed myself the chance to run my hands over his chest, he was so damn beautiful. I closed my eyes and inhaled the smell of his cologne, it made my head spin. "Dean, I..."

It was all I got out. He lifted my chin, and claimed my lips. I saw the proverbial stars, my toes curled into the carpet, and before I could stop them, my arms went up around his neck. My hands wound in his hair, I gasped for breath as he did things with his tongue that I didn't know were possible.

His hands moved up my back, he moved my hair and tipped my head back, moving his lips down to my neck. When the moan I couldn't contain escaped my lips, he stopped and smiled at me.

"You liked that." He whispered near my ear, and my whole body trembled. He kissed my earlobe, "wait, do you want me to stop, so we can finish our talk?" He stopped and looked at me, and I could tell he was serious.

With a shaking hand, I touched his face. And then I reached behind my neck for the string that was holding my tank top up.

He reached up and stopped me before I could untie it. "We don't have to do this Alice. Not if you don't want to."

I looked into his eyes. I couldn't keep it to myself, I had to tell him the truth. "I've only done this once before." I finally admitted. I couldn't help but chuckle, "it was an absolute disaster. It was like my body didn't know what to do. I don't want to make a fool of myself with you Dean."

He raised his hand, and ran his fingertips down the side of my face. I closed my eyes, my heart pounded, and my stomach flipped inside out at his touch. He continued down my neck, and shoulder to my back. As he lightly brushed the naked skin, my back arched into his body, and my arms went around his neck.

"I don't know who the other clown was, but your body seems to know exactly what I want it to do." He whispered. He reached up and untied my top, kissing my neck as he lifted me off my feet and carried me to his bed.

He laid me down and hovered over me, staring at my face with those damned green eyes. "I need you to know that this means something to me." He said, as he brushed some of my hair from my face. He bent and kissed my shoulder. "That it matters." He kissed my neck. "That YOU matter." He softly kissed my lips. "I meant what I said earlier Alice, I'll never let anything hurt you, that includes me."

"I believe you." I whispered, as I touched his cheek, and ran my thumb over his lips.

And I did.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/n. I am glad so many people liked the last chapter. Thanks for making my day with all your comments! :)**

Chapter Fifteen

For the first time in my adult life, I woke up wrapped in someone else's arms. I was on my side, his chest pressed up against my back, his arm thrown around my waist. I could hear him snoring softly in my ear, and if it hadn't been for my immediate need to use the bathroom, I would have been quite content to stay there forever.

I looked at the clock next to me on the nightstand, it was just about noon. I had a moments panic when I realized that Sam could just pop in here anytime he wanted. And while laying here wrapped in Dean was ideal, Sam seeing me naked? Not so much.

I slipped out from under Dean's arm, and grabbed his t-shirt off the back of the chair. I slipped it over my head, and moved quickly to the bathroom, picking up what clothes of mine I could find.

I turned on the shower, letting it get as hot as I could stand, and climbed inside. I stood in the steam, my head under the hot water, thinking about the night before.

I couldn't help but smile as I remembered, not only the passionate moments, but the time after that we laid there talking and laughing. I laughed so hard, I thought for sure Sam would wake up and hear us.

I cleaned myself up, and climbed out. I slipped the t-shirt back on, and wiped the steam from the mirror. I looked...happy. Despite the things we had facing us today, the fear I felt, and the danger that might lurk, for the first time without being with the Doctor, I was genuinely happy.

I turned when there was a light tapping on the door. I opened it a crack to see him standing there, completely naked, his hair disheveled. "Morning sunshine." I said with a smile.

He scowled at me, "you left the bed. I don't remember telling you that was okay."

I laughed, and opened the door all the way, "a girl has needs. Well, a girl has OTHER needs as well as the first type." I wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him.

He lifted me off the ground, holding me tightly. And lowered me down, nuzzling my neck. "Are you wearing my t-shirt?" He asked, looking down at me.

"Yes, am I in trouble?"

"Well you were already in trouble, so it doesn't really matter now does it." He said with a smirk, as he kissed me on the forehead. "But we do have one major problem we are going to have to address." He said as he walked around me and turned on the shower.

"And what's that?" I asked, picking up a package of dental floss off the counter.

He took it from my hand, and threw it back where it was. I squealed as he picked me up off my feet and lifted me back into the shower. He lifted the wet shirt over my head, and threw it on the floor. "You can't just go taking a shower, without me." He grinned at me mischievously as he closed the shower curtain.

I had no clean clothes, so I put back on my jeans, and Dean gave me another t-shirt. My tank top had ended up in a ball under the bed. I picked up my sandals and went to where he sat at the table with his dad's journal. Sam's computer was gone, he must have taken it with him to my room.

I bent over him, kissing him on the neck. "Did you guys figure anything out after I fell asleep last night?"

He closed the book, and turned sideways pulling me onto his lap. He rested his head on my chest, and I ran my fingers through his still wet hair.

"Nope. We are still in the dark. There is really only one thing we can do, if we don't find any clues in the cemetery."

I knew what he was going to say, but it made my stomach turn just thinking about it. "We have to try and communicate with her, don't we."

He looked up at me, "you don't. Alice, Sam and I have done this before. There is no need to put you in any kind of danger."

I clamped my hand over his mouth. "Quiet. I'm going, and you're not going to stop me. I just need to go and change into some clean clothes." I moved my hand, and kissed him again.

He started teasing my lips with his tongue, and wrapped his hands in my hair, holding me tightly to him. I smiled, "Stop that now...We need to get going, Sam is probably waiting... And I don't know about you, but I am starving." I spoke into his mouth, his lips still trying to kiss me as I talked.

He stopped and sighed, "Ahh food. You found my Achilles heel." He shook his fist. I smiled at him, and he reached up and touched my face. "You're amazing Alice. I hope you know that."

"Right back at you Winchester." I gave him another peck, and headed for my room.

* * *

The Doctor stood in the open door of the Tardis. A large smile was plastered on his face, as he watched Donna take in seventeenth century France. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, and she had a look of wonder as she watched all the smartly dressed people pass by.

"Where are they going?" She asked.

The Doctor shrugged, "Church I imagine. It is Christmas Eve."

Donna jumped up and down a bit, "Christmas in France?! How perfect! Let's follow them."

The Doctor motioned forward, "after you."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, and they followed the happy throng of people toward a large gray church.

As the walked toward the building, the Doctor stopped. Something was wrong.

"Doctor?" Donna asked when she couldn't get him to walk any further. She followed his eye line to the roof of the church. "Doctor, are you alright?"

"No Donna, I don't believe I am. Something wrong is very very wrong." He turned back around.

"You're not making any sense." She added, her hand on her hips.

"No I am not. Because I'm thick Donna. How did I not figure it out?" He grabbed her hand, and started running back to the Tardis.

"Where are we going?" She shouted, as he dragged her behind him.

"Back to Alice. She's in trouble, and I almost let her walk right into it all alone! Well not alone, but with those Winchesters, which is almost worse. How could I be so stupid? I should have figured it out ages ago."

Donna looked over her shoulder at the church they were running away from. She had no idea what set him off, but whatever it was he was worried.

They climbed in the Tardis, and he started throwing switches. Donna held on, as the device sprang to life. "The house, the ghost, the missing people." He walked over to her, and shook her by the shoulders. "The symbol on the floor Donna! The symbol, it makes perfect sense now."

"It does?" She asked in total confusion.

He smiled at her, and threw the final switch sending them on their way. "Let's go save Alice Temple."

She smiled back, "sounds good to me."

* * *

I tapped on the door. "Sam? Are you up?"

"Kind of. Come on in Alice." He shouted from inside.

I went into the room, and he was sprawled sideways across my bed, wearing only his jeans. He had pillows tucked under his head, and his laptop was on at his side. He lifted his head as I came into the room.

"You look exhausted Sam! Did you get any sleep at all?" I walked over to the bed and sat next to him.

He stretched and yawned, "Yeah, a little bit. I was just trying to see if I could figure out why Sarah Williams might turn into a vengeful spirit after her death. And maybe even kill her own husband, but I can't figure it out." He sat up, and turned the laptop toward me. It had a picture of a very happy looking older couple in front of the house. It seemed to be a newspaper story about her disappearance.

"They didn't even suspect him when she went missing, that's how good their marriage was. He was so distraught after she was gone, he became a recluse within a year. Plus, she was missing for like twenty years before he died, so why kill him now? And what about all the other missing people? Where are they? It all just makes no sense."

I looked closely at the picture. "Well she definitely resembles our friend from yesterday."

"Yeah, I thought so too." He said turning the picture back toward himself. "The hair is totally the same."

He rolled onto his back, hanging his head off the side of the bed, and crossing his hands over his chest. "This is one of the most frustrating cases we have had in a very long time. I feel like we are close, but missing something."

I patted him on the chest. "Well let me change, and we will go find out what it is we are missing." I picked up my duffel bag, and headed toward the bathroom.

"Nice t-shirt." He said, his head still upside down, only now it had a mischievous grin on it.

I blushed bright red. "Shut it you." I pointed at him, realizing too late I was pointing with the hand that held my balled up tank top. I tucked it into the top of my bag, and pointed at him again, "quiet."

He chuckled, and sat up, swinging his legs around to face me. "It's a good thing Alice. That we met you, I mean. Dean, well he hasn't been the same since our dad died. It's nice to think he might have found some peace with the situation."

"I'm not sure there is much peace to find Sam. It's all about survival sometimes."

"Well I like seeing him survive. Live a little even. Thanks for that."

I smiled at that, "believe me Sam, you do not have to thank me. Meeting the two of you is the best thing to happen to me in a very long time."

"Then I guess we all win this time." He said, with a slight note of sadness.

"Let's hope, Sam. Let's hope."

But the time we pulled up to the cemetery it was late afternoon. "We keep making a habit of not getting here until it's practically dark." I said, shivering a little in the afternoon wind.

"It's over that way." Sam said, pointing. He had managed to find the location of poor Sy Williams' unmarked grave.

I followed behind Sam, and Dean, looking around me with suspicion. It was that overwhelming feeling of being watched, and it wouldn't go away. I had fallen a ways behind them, when I saw it. Movement, just out of the corner of my eye. I stopped and turned, but there was nothing there, but tombstones and some trees in the distance.

"Alice?" Dean called, "are you alright?"

I slowly nodded my head, and then jogged to catch up with him. He wrapped an arm around my waist, "don't get separated from us, okay? We still don't know what we are hunting."

I nodded again, and looked over my shoulder. "Dean, someone, or something, is watching us." I said quietly.

"Where?" He asked, careful to not look around too suspiciously.

"Behind us, in the trees. I felt it, but then I am pretty sure I saw something."

Sam had stopped just ahead of us, and pulled what they explained was an emf detector out of his backpack. He walked slowly around the unmarked gravesite, watching the device carefully.

When we stopped at his side, Dean turned toward the trees, looking around us. "I don't see anyone." He said.

I shook my head, "I didn't either, not directly anyway" I still felt the eyes, and it was starting to make me very nervous.

"Dean check this out." Sam called.

We walked to where he stood, "there is nothing anywhere around, not even a little spike, until..." He took a few steps to his left, and the contraption lit up like a Christmas tree. "Until I hit this exact spot."

"Whoa." Dean walked over in front of the device, and kneeled down. "Something in the ground maybe?"

Suddenly the device went dark, and quiet. Sam got a confused look on his face. "Okay, well that's weird." He moved around a bit. He got another few feet in front of him, and it came to life again. "What the hell?"

He stood still for a moment, and it stopped again. He took a few steps and it happened again. "Maybe something is wrong with the detector." Dean offered.

Sam shook his head, "no, I think it's fine. I charged it just before we left the hotel."

He kept moving, and it kept happening. Light up. Go dark. Light up. Go dark.

I was getting more and more apprehensive. Because I saw what they did not. "It's leading us." I said.

They stopped and turned to face me. "What Alice?" Dean asked.

I pointed in front of us. "I said, it's leading us."

They finally looked forward and realized we were just fifty feet from the driveway to the house.

"It's pushing us back to the house." My voice trembled a bit, "it knows what it's doing. It's leading us straight there."

As I ended my sentence, I saw the movement again out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head quickly toward it.

"Alice!" Dean shouted, and I grunted as he tackled me to the ground. A big rock flew over us, having been thrown from the opposite direction of where I was looking.

"Are you alright?" He asked, breathless from fear. He looked around frantically, and I noticed Sam had dropped to the ground as well.

"That would have hit me right in the head." I whispered.

"I've got you Alice. You're okay." He looked over at Sam. "You alright Sammy?"

"Yeah, where did it come from?"

"No idea." We all looked around but saw no one. But when a second rock flew at us, hitting Sam in the foot, we realized someone was trying to say something. He grunted in pain, but moved forward.

"Keep moving Sam." Dean motioned forward, and Sam crawled the only direction there was relative safety.

Toward the house.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/n. sorry this has taken so long... And it's short... Hope you still love me anyway ;)**

Chapter Sixteen

Whatever it was followed us all the way to the house. We got up and ran, Sam leaning on Dean and limping. Whatever threw the rock, threw it hard, his ankle was already swelling.

We got into the back door, and Sam sat on a chair. "Dean..."

"I know Sam, I'll take care of it." Dean said, as he frantically looked through cupboards.

"I was going to say there's some in the duffel bag." Sam took the bag off his back. He pulled out a short barreled shotgun. And a container of what looked like salt. He threw the container to Dean, and he ran to the back door and dumped it on the floor.

"What's going on? What are you doing?" I said, wanting to help if I could.

"Search the cupboards." Dean said, "we need salt, lots of it." When I looked at him in confusion, he just stated, "the ghost can't cross the salt."

"Well that is good to know." I said, as I started tearing through cabinets.

Suddenly there was a horrifying scream at the back door, I looked up to see the angry spirit trying to get to us. This was no picture, even though she looked just like she did in the mirror. She was furious that she couldn't get in.

I crouched down and covered my ears, trying not to hear her wailing. And then things fell quiet. I looked around cautiously, and the three of us sat in silence waiting to see what was next.

"Sam!" Dean shouted, I turned to see her rushing down the hallway straight toward us.

I heard Sam cock the shotgun, and he stood and fired at her from right over my head. She disappeared with a scream. I covered my ears again, but I was too late. They were ringing from the shot.

Dean knelt next to me, he was talking but I couldn't hear anything for a moment. The ringing finally quieted.

"Alice, are you okay?"

I put my hands on his arms to stop him from shaking me. "I'm fine Dean. Just a bit deaf for a second." He helped me to my feet.

"We either need to get out of this house, or find a room that's easier to defend." Dean said to Sam.

"We can't leave." I was done running. "We need to figure out what the hell is going on, and end it." I said it with way more confidence than I felt.

"Then we move." Dean went to Sam's side. "Come on princess, let's move quick before she gets back."

"You guys go ahead. I'm going to find the salt." Dean hefted Sam to his feet, and I resumed tearing apart the cabinets. I found a shaker, and a container that was about half full. Hopefully it would be enough.

I caught up to them as we headed down the hallway toward the living room. I tucked the salt shaker in my pocket, and stuck the container in the bag that was draped over Sam's shoulder. I climbed under his other arm, trying to speed us along. We stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and looked up the daunting curved staircase. "Well we could always go up. Although being trapped on an upper floor doesn't seem too appealing."

"I'm not sure climbing steps is a good idea." Sam said, motioning to his ankle.

"Okay, we'll there was an office, den type thing down here right?" I asked looking around.

"Down there." Dean, said pointing down the long hallway that lead to the dreaded basement.

We hobbled down about three doors, Dean kicking them open as we went, until we found the office.

"Perfect." He said, as we went inside.

There was the door, and one small window. We lowered Sam onto a leather covered office chair that sat behind a giant desk.

"Get the door Alice, I'll get the window." Dean said, tossing me the salt I recovered from the kitchen.

I knelt in front of the door. And looked over my shoulder, as Dean explained what to do.

"Alice, behind you!" Sam shouted, I turned and there she was.

She appeared right outside the door, I dumped the salt as fast as I could, and she just watched me. I forced myself to look at her face, and I realized she didn't look angry, she just looked miserable. "What's wrong?" I whispered in her direction.

She was mouthing words I couldn't hear. Without her mouth wide open in the horrible scream, she really didn't look as scary. "What is it, what are you trying to say?"

She looked even more desperate, and kept moving her lips. It looked like "find the..." and then she got a terrified look as Sam shot her again with the shotgun.

I fell onto my behind, and scowled at Sam. "Could you please stop doing that right over my head?"

"Sorry Alice. Are you alright?"

I climbed to my feet and dusted myself off. "Yeah, I'm good. Better than good actually, I think she was trying to communicate with me. But she couldn't seem to speak out loud. She was telling me to "find" something."

I sat on a dusty couch against the wall, and closed my eyes. Trying to recover her face, and picture what she was trying to say.

I opened my eyes and looked around me. The room was fairly organized, overflowing bookshelves stood on two walls, and a large filing cabinet sat behind the big desk.

"The first thing she said, I could have sworn was book. "_Find the book_", but then when she repeated it, it was different."

I went to a shelf and started pulling out books one by one. And, as Sam started on the desk drawers, Dean started on the other bookshelf.

"I wish I knew exactly what we were looking for." I said after a half hour of finding nothing that seemed useful in the book department.

I looked over to see Sam fiddling with the desk. "Sam?" I asked.

He looked up at me, "This desk is the kind with hidden compartments. I've already opened two, and I am thinking there is one here too," he grunted as he gave a yank to the bottom of a drawer.

He looked into the hidden space, and looked up at me. "Journal, Alice? Could she have been saying journal?"

He lifted an old leather bound personal journal from the hidden compartment, and passed it to me.

I flipped through the pages, and upon seeing the handwritten scrawl, I knew this is what she meant. "Yes Sam, I think she did."

I went back to the couch, sat, and opened it to the first page.

"_June 22_

_This is the journal of Sarah Lee Williams. I am starting this journal on the day that my husband Sy and I are starting our new lives. We are finally doing what we have promised ourselves we would do after Sy's retirement. Moving to the country!_

_And you wouldn't believe the house we found..."_

I looked up at the boys. "Settle in guys, I think we have some reading to do."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/n. A new chapter, and the next one is almost finished as well!**

**Story is going fast, all the pieces will fit soon, I promise. Hang in there!**

Chapter Seventeen

"And you wouldn't believe the house we found." I read out loud, Dean sat next to me on the couch, and Sam leaned forward on his chair, as we immersed ourselves in Sarah's life.

* * *

"_It's almost strange. When Sy finally decided it was time to retire, he made it clear that our move to the country, would have to include a house with a large space for a garden._

_I guess after all those years of running the landscape company he was ready to have his own space. Our house in the city worked well for us, but had no yard to speak of. It was something that Sy always hated about it._

_When we spoke about the things we wanted in a house, we never dreamed we would find everything. There is always compromise when buying a home that someone else built to fulfill their own dreams._

_And then we saw this house. It's perfect in every sense, from the Victorian architecture (which I absolutely love) to the huge back yard Sy has always dreamed of. The most interesting thing about the back yard is its complete lack of landscape. It's just a huge span of grass, like an empty canvas waiting for an artist._

_I was sure we wouldn't be able to afford it. The for sale sign in the front yard looked like it had been there for years, and Sy commented that it might be because no one wanted to pay the price they wanted to get for it._

_When I called the realtor, she didn't seem surprised that we were interested in the house. But it was a strange conversation. When I asked her how much they were asking for the house, her response was something like, "you have to make an offer". I was confused, "what do you mean", I asked her. She explained that the house had very specific instructions from the last owner as to whom could purchase it. She simply told me that we had to make an offer, and she would tell us whether or not it was accepted, but that we shouldn't get our hopes up._

_How very strange I thought. But we went home after seeing it and counted every penny we had, or would have to see what kind of offer we could make. Our income was fixed at this point in our lives. We had set aside a sum for retirement, we had the money we were going to receive from the sale of our old house, and I got a retirement check from the school district I taught for, for thirty years. We worked out a number that was down to the penny, it was the maximum we could pay and still live comfortably for the rest of our years._

_I called her the next day with the offer. When I read the number out loud to her, it became very quiet. At first I thought we had been disconnected, but then she spoke. "I'm sorry, could you repeat the number you said?"_

_I did, and she quietly whispered, "well I'll be damned. Congratulations ma'am, after years and years of offers, this house is yours."_

_It felt like a miracle, as though this house was meant for us! And so after months of paperwork, and waiting, today was the big day, we moved everything in, and it couldn't be more wonderful!"_

* * *

I lowered the book after the first entry. "Do we read the whole thing?" I asked.

Sam shrugged, and Dean laid down across the couch, his head in my lap. "Might as well, hopefully it will help us figure out what's going on around here."

I got comfortable and absently ran my hand through Dean's hair as I continued.

* * *

"_June 25_

_The perfection of this house continues to amaze me, there are only a couple of things that I find strange, or even a bit disconcerting. I wasn't going to mention them, but I figure what kind of record would this be, if I left out the interesting details!_

_I was storing boxes in the attic, when I happened to lift the rug. There is a strange symbol painted on the floor. And then we found a second strange symbol, on the floor in the basement. We were down there trying to decide if it would make a more suitable laundry area, than out in the garage where the laundry is now._

_I made a drawing and took it to the library, but no one there seemed to know what they meant, so I have decided that I am going to choose to not be concerned with it. It meant something to the house's previous owner, and that was enough for me._

_Speaking of the house's previous owner, no one seems to know who that was. I can't even find records as to who lived there before us. Yet another strange thing to add to my list!"_

* * *

I looked up, "well that's something we didn't know before I guess. If they didn't paint the symbols in the house, they must have something to do with whoever the mysterious previous owner was."

I skimmed the next few entries, and saw they were about everything from the weather, to how much she enjoyed the town. I stopped on another one about the house.

* * *

"_July 14_

_I felt it again today. It's not scary, or ominous, it just feels like a presence. Like someone is watching me. I was upstairs vacuuming today, I was thinking how ridiculous it was that we bought such a huge house, when we didn't have anyone to fill it. Sy and I never had any children, and our families were spread all over the country._

_I stood in the doorway of one of our many guest rooms and thought to myself that maybe we should turn it into a bed and breakfast. Sy already had the backyard beginning to look like paradise. In a month, our garden would rival any he had ever created before._

_I was thinking I would talk to Sy about it, when I felt it. Someone was watching me. And then I heard what I can only describe as a sigh. I turned, fully expecting to see my dirt covered husband behind me at the top of the stairs. I even had a 'don't sneak up on me' lecture prepared. But there was no one there._

_I walked the entire second floor, and I was alone. I checked the attic, and then searched downstairs. I KNEW I heard someone, but I found no evidence of anything._

_I went into the small bedroom next to the den. I don't like that room, I'm not sure why, but I don't. It's too small, and there is no window, so it's dark all the time. I flipped on the light-switch and just about gave myself a heart attack when I saw my reflection in the giant mirror that hung on the wall in there! I laughed at myself, but I still feel uneasy sometimes when I think of it._

_One side note, I hate that mirror, I think I'll move it to the basement tomorrow."_

* * *

"Wait, are we thinking there is another spirit here? Or is the spirit we keep seeing the one she is talking about? This whole thing is so confusing." Sam said, with frustration in his voice.

"I wish I could just talk to her." I said, "she wanted to communicate with me, I could tell. She just didn't seem to be able to."

"I think we have an even bigger problem." Dean stated.

I looked down at him, "and what's that?"

He motioned to the window with his hand. "It's getting dark out there, and I am getting hungry again."

"Seriously dude? That is your concern right now?" Sam shook his head.

"We can't leave Dean." I said. "Not until we figure this damn puzzle out. In the meantime, there are some power bars and bottled water in my backpack. Have one of those.

He grimaced as he sat up, "power bars? Yuck. And water? Sammy, don't we have a flask of something here?"

"No Dean, I seemed to have forgotten my flask." Sam replied sarcastically.

Dean held his hands up in surrender, "fine, fine. Power bars and water it is. It's going to be a long night. Especially for you guys, if all I'm getting is this crap." He said shaking my backpack at me.

I rolled my eyes, and went back to flipping through Sarah's entries.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/n. things are moving faster now, getting easier to write now that I am getting to the major stuff within the story line.**

**Thank you to my faithful reviewers! I love you guys! Finally got a few new followers, huzzah! I didn't realize how limited the crossover audience is... So tell your friends, your family, and everyone you know to read! ;) **

Chapter Eighteen

I read a few more passages, skipped a few more, and then came to an interesting one. I was surrounded by lit candles, and a flashlight. The sun had gone down about an hour before, and things had been quiet. It made me even more certain, that this is what the ghost wanted us to be doing.

* * *

"_April 28_

_Spring is here, and Sy's garden is going to be an absolute Eden! The flowers are just starting to pop up, and things are starting to be green and beautiful again!_

_And after much discussion, and some talks with the city government, we have finally been given permission to rent out our extra rooms as a bed and breakfast._

_There is a lot of work to do, but now that winter is over my energy has returned, and I am ready for it._

_I just have to convince Sy to start on the small remodeling job we need to do. He finally got tired of me complaining that the train set he put up over the winter was taking over our house. But it was! I know he is bored, this being his first winter without work of any kind, and the new hobby is something he really enjoys. But the trains, and the tracks, and all the bitty pieces are everywhere!_

_I finally convinced him to knock down the wall between the den, and that little bedroom I hate. Then he should have plenty of space in there. He is going to start working on it tomorrow, and I will be so glad when it's done._

_My first job, is to clean out those rooms upstairs. Right now they are holding some of my extra decorations that didn't really fit in anywhere else. But I'm going to give each room it's very own makeover! So I'm off, going to take all the outdated decor down to the basement, so we can start fresh. Who knew retirement would be so much work!"_

* * *

I flipped to the next page, but it was empty. So was the one after that, and the one after that. "I think that's the end." I said.

"That can't be the end, they haven't even opened their bed and breakfast yet." Dean said.

"It's not a novel Dean." Sam chuckled, "I wonder if that was when she disappeared. The article said they lived in the house less than a year, when it happened."

I flipped a few more pages, and realized Sam was right. I found more writing, but it wasn't Sarah's perfect school teacher penmanship. This was the scrawled handwriting of a man.

"There's more." I said, as I skimmed the page. "Ugh, and it's depressing."

"Read it." Sam said, and I nodded.

* * *

"_May 12_

_Where are you? Where did you go Sarah? I don't understand what happened. I told the police you disappeared while you were out walking, because what really happened was just too strange._

_I knew they would never believe me if I told them the truth. I go over and over it in my mind. I was up in the guest room you were wanting to start redecorating, you were taking a load of things down to the basement to store them. You were so excited about the bed and breakfast, and couldn't wait to get started._

_I was working on fixing the closet. The shelves within it were so old, and you wanted to replace them with cedar. I don't know how long you were gone when I noticed that you should have been back. Maybe an hour? If I had been faster, would I have been able to save you?_

_I made my way downstairs, expecting to see you in the kitchen. Maybe making lunch or something, but you weren't there. Suddenly I felt sick, what if you had fallen down the stairs. I called your name, and my heart raced as I saw the basement door standing open. You NEVER left that door open, not unless you were down there._

_I moved through the door, at this point I expected to see you laying at the bottom, why else didn't you answer?_

_But you weren't there. So I went down the stairs, and I saw the pile of things you had been carrying, carefully placed in the corner. But no you._

_Sarah I looked everywhere. I searched our house a thousand times for you. You had to be there somewhere! The front door was locked from the inside, and there was no sign of you having gone out the back._

_You disappeared within our house Sarah. Within our own basement! How would I explain? The police searched the house again, and the town. I was distraught, and they only knew the half of what I was feeling._

_I should have taken those things to the basement myself. I should have gone to look for you sooner. I die a little everyday inside wondering if there is something I could have done._

_I tried to to back into the basement today, but the door won't open. I couldn't even get the handle to turn. Maybe it's for the best, maybe you don't want me to go down there and dwell on what happened. I miss you Sarah, I'm not good at being without you. Please come home."_

* * *

"Yikes." Dean said, leaning forward, his hands folded between his knees.

I flipped forward in the journal, and there were a few more entries, they just got weirder.

"I thought I heard your voice today..." And, "I could have sworn I saw you walking in the kitchen from the corner of my eye."

He slipped quietly into madness, and no one in the town even bothered to find out why. By the time I got to his last entry, I had tears in my eyes.

* * *

"_Don't know what's real anymore. Keep hearing noises coming from the basement. I have heard them for going on twenty five years now, but I can't seem to ignore them like I used to._

_There is something down there, I know that now. It wants to kill me, maybe I will let it. I'm tired, and finished. I think I'll try and open that door again, for the first time in twenty five years."_

* * *

I stopped, and the boys just watched me. I wiped my eyes, and sniffled a bit. "That's the end. The last entry."

"Where do we go from here?" Sam asked. "If there was something in the basement, it's gone now."

My head popped up, "what did you say?"

"I said, even if he wasn't crazy, and there was something living in his basement, it's not there anymore."

I got to my feet, "that's it. Don't you see?" I went to the door, I didn't step over the salt, but I leaned out the doorway. "Sarah? Are you here? I think I am starting to understand now!" I called down the hallway.

Dean grabbed my arm, and pulled me back into his arms. "What are you doing Alice? Are you crazy?"

"No Dean, and neither was Sy Williams. There WAS something in that basement. And Sam is right, it's out now." I looked into his face desperately.

"The missing people." He said, I nodded vigorously.

"Yes, people are missing because whatever WAS in the basement, has escaped!"

"But what was keeping it down there?" Sam asked.

"I can only think of one thing." I looked out the doorway again. "It had to have been Sarah."

I stepped out of Dean's grasp, he unwillingly let me. I walked to the door, and this time I stepped one foot over the salt.

That was all it needed, I heard Dean scream. "Alice no!" But like a nightmare it grabbed me by the foot and yanked me down the hallway so fast my head was spinning. I couldn't see anything there, but it pulled me so fast I couldn't do anything to stop it, even if I had been able to see it. I think I screamed, and I know I heard Dean chasing after us. But he was too slow, whatever it was dragged me into the last place I wanted to be, down the basement stairs, and I sobbed as I heard the door slam behind me.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"A graveyard? Really? And in the middle of the night?" Donna scowled as she exited the Tardis into the old cemetery.

"Oh shush, it's not the middle of the night, it's not even eleven o'clock yet." The Doctor said, as he looked around.

"According to the gps in her phone she is near this cemetery. Now come on, we have to find her."

Donna jogged behind him, barely able to keep up with his long legs as he hopped over tombstones, calling Alice's name.

"Doctor?" Donna called, trying to get his attention. He didn't notice, he just kept moving. "Doctor!?" She shouted, finally getting him to stop so she could catch up.

"This place isn't safe Donna, we need to keep moving." He said with annoyance.

"Yeah, I got that Sunshine, but your moving too fast. Slow down."

And then they heard it. "Was that a scream?" Donna asked.

The Doctor looked bleak, and nodded. "Yes Donna, that was definitely a scream."

They both turned to look down the road at a house just in front of them.

The Doctor took off at a run, and this time Donna's adrenaline pushed her right along with him. They stopped in front of a large Victorian house, and heard clearly, as Dean was crying out Alice's name.

"I knew it." The Doctor muttered. He moved to the front door, but couldn't get it to open. He started storming around the back. "I met their grandfather once, you know." He stopped, and faced her for a moment. "Helped him out of some trouble he found himself in. Their family has been finding their way into these situations for generations now."

He was muttering, and frustrated, as he continued his search for the back door to the house. He stopped again, "I really hoped these boys would be different, but this is exactly what I was afraid of. They got Alice into trouble, and now who knows what's happened." He moved forward again, Donna trying not to smile as she thought about the irony of what he was saying. "This is why I have been watching them, ever since their father turned them into the one thing their mother wouldn't have wanted." He mumbled, almost to himself as he kept moving.

He climbed the back steps, and threw open the back door. Donna followed him up, "but to be fair, you probably got Alice into a few dangerous situations yourself, I'm guessing." She said.

He whirled around pointing a finger in her face. "That...that is different."

She rolled her eyes, "how? Explain to me how it's any different?"

He was flustered, she could tell. She couldn't help but smirk at her victory.

"It's different because I was with her. I am used to keeping people safe, rescuing people. I would never let anything hurt Alice."

Donna sighed, "of course you wouldn't. And you have to give these boys a chance, if they really do what you said they do, then they help people too."

He looked into the house with fear on his face. Donna realized at that moment, how much he cared for this girl. She placed a hand on his arm, "we'll find her. Everything is going to be okay, even if we are about to go into a house that, from the looks of it, pretty much has to be haunted."

They could still hear the chaos of Dean yelling somewhere close by, and they looked at one another with knowing glances.

"Allons-y?" He said, with a raised eyebrow.

"After you." She said with a smile, and motioned forward.

* * *

Dean watched it happen, but still couldn't believe it. It was like one of those moments in a horror movie, when someone important is snatched and yanked away.

Without thought for himself, he ran from the room, just in time to see whatever had her pull her down the dark basement stairs. He could see the flashlight Alice was holding bouncing around the walls and ceiling, and then the door slammed and she was gone.

He ran to the door screaming her name, and when he got there the door wouldn't budge. He pounded on it relentlessly, feeling helpless, and furious. He could vaguely hear Sam calling his name somewhere behind him. He just kept yelling, it's like he couldn't help himself. "Give her back! Alice, can you hear me? I'm going to destroy you, whatever you are. If you hurt her, I swear, I'll torture you until the day we both die, you son of a bitch."

He felt Sam grab his arm, and pull him from the door. "Dean stop! Look what your doing."

Dean looked down at his bloodied knuckles, and sank to the floor in defeat. "I lost her Sam. I promised I would never let anything hurt her, and I lost her."

"Well then, let's find her shall we?"

Dean looked up at the new voice, and recognized the face from Alice's phone. "Doctor." He said simply.

"Dean, Sam." The Doctor tipped his head toward them, "tell me what's happened."

Dean ducked his head, ashamed to tell this man what had transpired. He felt like an absolute failure in his obligation to protect Alice. Sam spoke up instead, "it's kind of a long story. Can you just use your little screwdriver thing and open the door please?"

The Doctor looked down at his hand, and jumped to action, as if he just realized what he was holding. "Oh yeah, yes of course."

Dean stood up and moved from out of the way, and the Doctor aimed the sonic screwdriver at the the handle on the door. Nothing happened, he kept trying, it the handle wouldn't budge. "Well it appears we are unable to open the door that way. Any other suggestions?"

"Yeah, a battering ram," Dean muttered. He went back to the door, and shook it. "I'll take the damn thing off it's hinges if I have to."

"Valiant effort, but the hinges appear to be on the other side." The Doctor responded, a bit sarcastically.

Dean whirled to face him, the rage building inside him. "Oh just say it already!" He yelled at the Doctor.

"I don't know what you mean." The Doctor feigned innocence, and it just made Dean angrier.

"You MEAN to imply that this is somehow my fault. That YOU are better at taking care of her than I am, that maybe if YOU had been here, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Well it seems I don't have to say it, now do I." The Doctor bit back.

Donna stepped in the middle of the men, "now boys, how about we have a pissing contest another day when there isn't someone in need of your help."

The two men each took a step back, and Donna continued. "It's obvious you both care about the girl, so why don't we all work together like adults, shall we you idiots?"

They both had enough sense to look ashamed as they nodded.

"Besides Alice already let it slip that she got trapped in some box on some planet that I am not even going to begin to try and pronounce." Sam added, in his and Dean's defense.

The Doctor smiled, "oh yes. Raxacoricofallapatorius, I had totally forgotten about that time..." He was lost in thought for a moment. "Well fair enough, let's figure out how to knock this door down then shall we?"

Dean suggested that they split up and look outside for a sledgehammer or something. "Not a good idea to split up, trust me on that one." The Doctor replied.

He was keeping something from them, that much was obvious. So they went out as a group and searched the grounds, until they found a big crowbar. Then as a group they went back to the basement door.

Dean pushed the crowbar into the crack between the door and the wall, and was just about to push it with all his strength when something surprising happened.

The door knob turned. He looked down, thinking his eyes were playing tricks, but it happened again. And then he heard the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

"Dean? Open the door, I can't get out!" Alice shouted from the other side.

"Alice?!" He shouted in return, as he pulled the crowbar out and dropped it on the floor, he tried the handle again. The door popped open, and there she was.

Bruised, and bleeding a little bit on the side of her head. "Oh Alice." Dean sighed, as she fell into his arms.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and he took her face in his hands. "Are you alright?" He whispered, as he checked to see how serious the cut on her head was.

"Yes, I'm okay." She said, as she looked up at him. He kissed her softly, and held her tightly against his chest.

She looked around him at the sound of someone clearing his throat. She recognized that sound. And Dean couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous as she pulled back from him, and launched herself into the Doctor's waiting arms.

"Ahh Alice Temple, what have you managed to get yourself into this time?" He said, with a large smile of relief to see her in one piece.

"I need a sledgehammer." She said simply. They all kind of looked at her like she was speaking another language.

Dean leaned down and picked up the crowbar. "Will this do Alice?" He asked.

She shrugged, "let's find out." She took the crowbar, walked back down the hallway and into the den where they had been hiding before.

She walked over to the wall on the left hand side of the room, and looked at it pensively. She calmly walked, running her hand along the wall, and then she stopped.

"Alice? What are you doing?" Sam asked.

And then they all flinched as she took the crowbar, and started ripping the wall in front of them apart.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

It happened so fast, and my fear was so overwhelming that I didn't even feel the pain when my head hit something. The flashlight I had gripped with all my strength was ripped from my hand as I bumped my way down the stairs feet first.

When I finally came to a stop, I was sitting in the middle of the basement. I was terrified, I could hear Dean at the top of the stairs screaming. I pulled my knees to my chest, and buried my head and cried.

Well, I thought, I've lived a good life. Seen things no one else has seen. I should be okay with dying, right? Nope, no, not even a little bit.

I heard a noise, but was afraid to look. I listened carefully, and was pretty sure it was the sound of my flashlight being rolled across the floor.

I peeked out over my arms, and sure enough my flashlight was ten feet from where I sat, but slowly rolling in my direction.

The light illuminated the wall, and the dreaded mirror, as it made its way toward me. It stopped within arms reach, as though it was a peace offering of some kind.

Dean had stopped yelling upstairs, and I hoped it was because they were trying to figure out how to get me the hell out of here.

I looked down at the flashlight, and slowly reached for it. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what was here, but I needed to see what I was up against. My hand was shaking, as I lifted the flashlight and aimed it directly in front of me.

There she was. She sat on the floor across from me, her hands raised as if to say she wasn't a threat.

She didn't look like what I thought a ghost should look like. She looked like, well, a regular person. "Sarah?" I asked, my voice shaking more than I would have liked.

She nodded her head, and smiled at me. She wore a dress that looked like it was straight out of a nineteen fifties tv show. "Can you talk to me?"

She opened her mouth and mouthed a few words, I didn't hear anything. "I don't understand, why can't I hear you?"

She shrugged, giving the universal signature for, "I don't know."

She motioned at the distance between us. I knew what she was asking, but frankly it terrified me. "You want to come closer?" I said.

She nodded, and put up her hands again as she got up and almost floated toward me. She sat right in front of me, she could have touched me if she wanted to. My entire body shook.

She pointed at my head, a look of concern on her face. I reached up, and sure enough I was bleeding a bit. I winced as I wiped at it with my hand. "I think it happened on the staircase."

Her brow furrowed, and she mouthed an apology. She sat there for a moment, trying to make me comfortable with her presence. "I have a lot of questions." I finally said. She smiled, and gave a slight nod.

"Did you hurt those people? The ones who are missing?"

She scowled at me and shook her head vigorously.

"Do you know who did? Is it the same one who hurt you?"

She nodded.

"Did whoever it was..did they..." How did I ask her this? "Did they hurt your husband?"

She looked down, and nodded her head. The anguish on her face was clear. "I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say.

She smiled sadly, and then she reached her hand toward me. "You want me to take your hand?" I asked, my voice starting to shake again.

Another nod. I looked down at it, not sure I was prepared for this. I listened for any sound of a rescue, but everything upstairs had fallen quiet.

"Come on Alice, pull it together." I whispered to myself, and she smiled at me, and wiggled her fingers.

I reached out and took her hand. It was strange, I could feel it, but not like when you take a real person's hand. It was cold, and uncomfortable. She closed her eyes, so I did too. And then I saw it, what she wanted from me.

She showed me the wall in the den, but it was just framed, not finished yet. There was an opening in the center, and I watched as what looked like a workman placed a box in the hole. Then the wall appeared around it.

I opened my eyes to see her looking at me imploringly. "The wall? You want me to find the box in the wall?"

She nodded again, and then she pointed at her wrist, and then she pointed up. "You're out of time." I interpreted. She smiled, nodded, and then disappeared.

I waited a few moments, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. Then I got to my feet and headed for the stairs. Time to find out what was inside that box.

* * *

When I swung the crowbar it hit the wall solidly where I aimed, and put a big gash in the plaster under the old wallpaper. I heard the four of them gasp, as I reached back for another swing.

I heard Dean behind me, "whoa, Alice! What are you doing?" He came up behind me, and took the crowbar from my hand.

"Uh Alice, can we talk alone for a moment?" The Doctor asked, stepping up next to Dean.

I looked from one to the other, and sighed. "Dean, there is a box hidden in this wall, about here. Sarah showed it to me." I added, when he looked at me with confusion. I pointed to the spot I remembered from the vision. "See if you can get it out, I'll be right back."

I stepped around him, putting a hand on his arm, and looking up into his beautiful green eyes as I did so. He nodded, and shifted the crowbar in his hand. I smiled up at him, I couldn't help it, damn he was beautiful.

"Alright, alright, come on now." The Doctor grabbed my arm and pulled me out into the hallway.

The Doctor turned and saw Donna watching Dean carefully as he started hammering at the wall. She seemed to be staring right in the general area of his butt.

"Donna, are you joining us?" He asked with annoyance.

She looked over her shoulder, "nope, I'm good." She said, turning back like she didn't want to miss a moment. Sam hid a smile behind his hand, as he sat back in the office chair, placing his hurt ankle up on the desk.

I couldn't help but chuckle as the Doctor closed the door, leaving us alone in the hallway.

"First of all.." He started with, pointing his finger into my face. "Dean Winchester? Really Alice?"

I shrugged, "I like him. He understands me."

It was a simple statement, but I saw him soften immediately. "Alice, I just want you to be careful. Guys like that...well, they're trouble."

I took his hand. "Guys like YOU, you mean."

He nodded, "well yes, I suppose. But stop distracting me, I have to tell you something, something about the mark on the floor, but you have to promise not to tell them about what it means."

He pointed toward the room, where I could still hear Dean hammering the wall. I nodded my head, "you know you can trust me." I said, and I meant it.

He paced a bit, "I think I know what's taking people Alice. Unfortunately the mark on the floor isn't going to help though."

"So what is it?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"It's meant for an angel. But angels aren't something Sam and Dean are going to have to worry about for a while, that's why they can't know what it is."

"Wait," I said, my brow furrowing in disbelief. "An angel? As in heaven, floating around with a harp and wings angel?"

He nodded, "yes actually. But that's why the mark won't work you see. It's not THAT kind of angel." He looked at me as if he expected me to understand what he was saying. And then I remembered.

"Last year with Martha." I said, and he nodded. He had told me the story while we traveled on my last birthday. How they ended up trapped in 1969.

He smiled, "Yes my clever, clever, Alice, exactly. I think this town has a weeping angel on the loose."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

"Weeping angel, huh? Well awesome." I was being sassy, this was all getting to be too crazy. "How do we get rid of it?" I asked, hoping it was going to be easy.

"Well, it's tricky..." The Doctor started.

"Alice! I've got it!" I heard Dean shout.

"Hold that thought." I said to the Doctor. "Let's see what it is the ghost thought was so important, it was worth giving me a concussion." I rubbed at my head again, it was really starting to hurt.

Between that and Sam's ankle, we really needed some aspirin around here. I vaguely wondered if there was something in the bathroom.

When we got back inside, Dean was pulling a wooden box out of the wall. He looked over, and I nodded, "yep. That's it."

I walked over, and lifted the lid to find...yet another journal sitting inside. "Fantastic. More reading..." I picked up the book, and flipped through the pages.

"Well what do you know." I muttered.

"What is it?" Sam asked, "who does it belong to?"

I smiled, "it belongs to Sarah Williams, Sam."

Dean looked at the wall, and back at the book. "How is that possible? Sy didn't even end up doing the renovation after she disappeared? How did that get in there?"

"I think I know the answer, but let's read and find out." I looked at the Doctor and nodded. I was starting to be pretty sure he was right.

* * *

_October 23_

_My Dearest Sy,_

_I can only hope you went forward with the renovations and found this. If not, well I fear you will never know the truth of what happened to me._

_Not that I even know the truth of really took place. I only know there was a creature in our basement, and after one touch, our lives were forever changed._

_I didn't see it at first, I placed all the items I was carrying in the corner, and then I heard a noise behind me. When I turned, I saw it. A statue, and I know that sounds unbelievable. I didn't believe it myself at first, but it was right before my eyes, a statue of an angel, it's head in it's hands as if it was crying._

_I turned to call for you upstairs, and then I felt it. A cold touch on the shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, our basement had disappeared. I found myself in a city, as I collected myself, and really looked around, I realized it was New York City!_

_I wandered the streets for a bit, and everything looked strange. And the people! Sy there were people everywhere, they were dressed strangely, and seemed to be celebrating._

_I found myself on a street filled with people, and I grabbed the arm of a woman as she passed me. "Excuse me?" I asked her, "can you tell me what's going on?"_

_She looked at me like I was crazy! And then she handed me a newspaper, and said, "it's over! It's finally over."_

_I looked down at the paper and it had a large banner across the top, saying "the war is over." It was dated August, 1945._

_I thought it was a joke, or maybe some kind of strange reenactment. But it wasn't Sy, I was IN 1945, and having no idea how I got there, I realized quickly there would be no going home."_

* * *

"Looks like you were right." I said to the Doctor.

He muttered something as he paced in front of me.

"You know what this thing is then?" Dean asked.

The Doctor nodded, "yes. But that's not the question you should be asking. The question you should be asking, is where is it now?"

We all kind of looked at one another, and around us as of it could appear at any moment. And if what the Doctor had explained about the weeping angels was true, technically it could if no one was looking at it.

"Explain what we are up against Doctor." I said, as I flipped forward in the journal.

I half listened as he told Donna, Sam and Dean all about the weeping angels and how they work. But I was distracted as I skipped forward a bit in the journal, I wanted to see how Sarah adjusted to life in 1945.

* * *

"_I am a very wealthy woman here Sy. It didn't take me long to realize with my knowledge of history, there were many ways I could make money. I laugh when I think about the number of times I had students asking me when they would use their knowledge of history in real life. It is because of that knowledge I have been able to make myself into an incredibly successful business woman._

_I am ashamed to tell you that my first sum of money came from some less than reputable characters, but I disappeared without a coin on me, and had no other choice. Thankfully I was able to pay the money back quickly, and I have been able to take care of myself ever since._

_It took me about five years to gather all the money I needed. But when I had it, I did what I knew I had to do. I bought the land, and built this house. The one you stand in now. It was me who created the dream home we would find one day Sy. It was me who left your garden empty for you..._

It continued, and I couldn't help but sit down as I was reading. Of course, it all made sense now.

"_I don't know what brought me here Sy, but I am going to try and see if I can stop it from happening. I have been doing research, and talking to people. Strange people who know about things like this. It's hard to believe there are folks who dedicate their lives to unknown frightening things, but they are out there._

_I was given some ideas that might protect the house, symbols that banish demons, and even angels. I know all this sounds crazy, but I just want to come home to you Sy."_

I felt a tear slide down my cheek, and I wiped it quickly.

"Alice what is it?" Dean asked, kneeling at my side. I should have known he would notice.

"She built the house. She put the the book in the wall, and designed the yard. She decided on the architecture, and even put the symbols in place hoping she could stop it from happening. She did it all in the past, so that they would have it in the future." I said it with disbelief and sadness in my voice.

"Sarah?" Sam asked, "you're saying Sarah, built this house?"

I nodded, and held up the journal. "It's all here."

"And he never knew the truth. If he had only gone forward with the renovation, he could have known she was safe, but he just shut down." Sam said, "is there anything else?" He pointed at the journal.

I flipped through what looked too personal to read aloud, and then came to the last entry.

* * *

"_I am old now Sy. It's crazy to think that somewhere else my life is moving forward, and here, it's coming to an end. I have been told that I don't have much time left, so I am finishing this journal, and the men are coming tomorrow to build the wall in what will eventually be your den._

_Please Sy, if things don't work out, go on without me. Finish your garden, and welcome people into our home. I will forever remain close to you. I love you._

_Sarah."_

* * *

"That's the end."

"Well almost." A voice from the hallway made us all jump out of our skin. It was Sarah, she stood just beyond the salt.

"You can speak!" I said, rushing to the doorway.

She nodded with a small smile, "you seem to have found my voice. Thank you for that." She nodded down to the journal, still within my hands.

I started to ask questions, but she raised a hand stopping me. "I'm sorry, but there isn't any time. When I had the angel trapped here, I could keep it still easily. But now it is loose, and my energy is waning. I need help destroying it, please can you help me, before it takes someone else"

I turned to the Doctor, "what do we do?"

"What do you mean, what do we do? We kill the damn thing, that's what we do." Dean said, coming to my side. "How do we kill it?"

"Whoa now, slow down." The Doctor turned to us, "we don't just kill everything. It's a weeping angel, you can't stake it, or set it on fire. We have to trap it, and then I can put it in the Tardis and keep it from hurting anyone else."

"So when do we start?" I asked.

"Do you know where it is now?" The Doctor turned back to Sarah.

She nodded, "yes, it is where it blends in best. Within the cemetery."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

"Any sort of plan in mind Doctor, or are we doing this by the seat of our pants?" I asked with a smirk.

"You mean like usual?" Donna added.

The Doctor waved his hands at us, "you two...just shut up now. I'm thinking." He paced the room a couple of times, stopping twice, opening his mouth, and then closing it again.

"Ooookay... Well since you need a minute, I am going to see if I can find something to wrap Sam's ankle with, so he can walk." I walked to the door, and Dean grabbed my arm as I was about to step outside the room.

"Whoa Alice, don't do that again." Dean looked at Sarah with suspicion.

She gave a guilty smile, and moved aside, motioning me forward. "I'm sorry about before. Feel free to find what you need. There used to be a first aid kit in the upstairs bathroom."

"Alice, you don't have to do that," Sam got up. "I'll be fine, look." He hobbled around the room, and I could see the pain on his face.

Sarah stuck her head back around the door. "I'm so sorry. That was me too. I was just trying to scare you to the house, so you were away from the angel before it got you. It was watching you in the cemetery, I didn't know what else to do. I didn't mean to actually hit you with the rock. It's hard to tell how much energy I'm using. Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

I couldn't help but chuckle, "it's okay Sarah. We are in one piece, and still here, that's what counts. I'll go upstairs and find the first aid kit, you need the ankle wrapped Sam, your hobbling has convinced me of nothing."

"Um Alice?" Sam motioned over my shoulder at Sarah.

I turned to see her crying, her head in her hands. "Sarah? What is it?"

She shook her head, "I failed him. Sy, I mean. I protected him for twenty years, and with a moments distraction I absolutely failed."

"What happened that day?" I asked, wishing I could put a comforting arm around her.

"Sy opened the door. He hadn't done that in the twenty years since I vanished. I don't know why he decided to do it, but he forced it open, and it distracted me. The angel was fast enough to move from my line of site. I found as long as I watched it, it stayed still. There were moments when my energy failed me, and it would have a small moment to move, but it had never been able to move that far before."

"How far did it get?" I asked, trying to help her get the story out.

"To the top of the stairs. Sy fell backwards trying to get away when he saw it. There was no other choice, I had to do it." She was pleading with me, trying to convince me she made the right choice.

"Calm down Sarah, it's over now, what happened." Dean said softly.

"I appeared behind him, Sy, I watched the angel and told him to run. When he saw me...he... Well I couldn't look at his face, but I can only imagine what he was thinking. I shouted at him..."

* * *

"Run Sy! You need to get out of here!"

"Sarah? I don't understand? How...how is this possible."

"Please Sy, not right now. Just do as I say and run!"

He finally got to his feet, and made his way to the front door. It felt agonizingly slow, but when I finally heard the door close I used most of the energy I had left to throw the bookshelf in front of the door to keep the angel from following.

I just had to keep it still until I could figure out how to get it back in the basement. I stared into its face. No longer afraid of the sharp teeth it had been baring at me off and on for twenty years now. This thing hated me as much as I hated it, and I knew it.

My energy was fading, I wasn't going to be able to stay visible for much longer. I had already lasted much longer than I thought I would. I just wanted to give him time to get away. But then... Well then I heard the last thing I wanted to hear.

The back door opened. And he shouted, "Sarah!? I'm not leaving you again!"

I blinked. That was it, I blinked one time, and when I opened my eyes the angel was in the kitchen.

I don't remember exactly what happened. I think I screamed for Sy to run, and then the last of my energy failed me, and I slept.

That's what I call it when I disappear. That was the first time it had happened in twenty years. It doesn't spend much energy to sit and stare fortunately. I can't explain what it's like when I'm out. But coming back, it really is like waking up from a long nap. I had no idea of knowing if it had been a minute or an hour, but it was quiet.

I made my way to the back door, it was wide open. And there he was, laying at the bottom of the stairs. There was blood everywhere, he had obviously fallen off the porch, trying to back away from the door. He had landed on one of his gardening tools. The angel was gone, it must have realized he wasn't going to survive.

* * *

"Was he alive when you found him?" I asked tentatively.

She shook her head, "no, he was gone. Fortunately he went to the light, and didn't end up stuck here like me."

"There is every chance that when we get all this worked out, you will be able to cross over as well." Sam limped to the doorway, "we'll find a way for you to be free of this Sarah."

She wiped her eyes, and nodded with a sad smile. "I hope your right." She whispered.

I stepped out into the hallway. "I'm going upstairs to find the first aid kit. I'll be right back."

"I'll go with you," the Doctor and Dean said it at almost the same time.

"You are supposed to be formulating a plan." I pointed at the Doctor.

"Yes, quite right I suppose. Sarah, can you take me to the basement, and show me where you were holding the angel?"

Sarah nodded, "yes, of course."

"I'll stay with Sam." Donna spoke up, "none of us should really be alone."

I smiled, "thank you Donna."

The Doctor sighed, "I'm sorry Alice, I'm just not used to someone else protecting you."

I smiled, "thanks, but I'm fine. I'll be right back, Dean you can come with me if it will make you feel better."

He nodded, and picked up the shotgun as he followed me.

"That isn't going to help, you know." The Doctor shouted, as we headed for the staircase.

"I'm betting it would quiet you down if I shot you with it." Dean shouted back.

I shook my head, and muttered "boys," under my breath.

We made our way into the bathroom, Dean closed the door behind us, and checked the window to make sure it was locked.

"We're on the second floor." I smirked, "I don't think they can fly."

"Yes, well, we're not taking any chances."

He rifled through drawers, while I looked in the small linen closet.

"It's here." He said, lifting a box with the signature red cross on the top.

"Good, bring the whole thing, maybe we can find some pain meds in there too." I said, as I turned for the door.

"Hold on there, come and sit down for a minute." He motioned at the cupboard by the sink.

I walked over, and he lifted me up to sit on the counter. He opened the first aid kit, took out some gauze, and dumped something out of a brown bottle onto it.

"Hold still." He said, as he leaned toward me. "It's gonna sting."

He held my chin softly with one hand, and I flinched in pain as he placed the gauze on my head wound, cleaning it.

"Ssssssson of a..., yeah, that does sting." I opened my eyes, to see his face just a few inches from mine. He suddenly looked very serious.

"What?" I asked simply.

He swallowed and cleared his throat, and put a small bandage on my head. "Do you know how scared I was when she took you?" He lowered his gaze and put his forehead on mine. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've felt that desperate." He whispered.

"I'm sorry." I said, placing my hands on either side of his face.

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. It was desperate, and passionate, and left me breathless.

"I can't lose you again. Promise me you won't do anything stupid." He said.

I nodded, "I definitely promise to try." I smiled and ran my thumb over his lips.

He closed his eyes. "Alice. When all this is over, do you think? Well what I mean is, would you maybe...I don't know, consider coming with us? Sam and me? I mean, we have unfinished business, and it will probably get dangerous. But I will find you somewhere safe, when things get too tricky."

He just kept talking, like he was afraid to stop. I put my hand over his mouth. "Yes Dean. Yes, I would love to come with you and Sam for a while. If it's okay with Sam of course."

He moved my hand, and leaned forward, kissing me again softly. "You make me feel human again Alice. I think... Well I think I might need you. And I don't usually need anyone but Sam.

I had a realization that terrified, and excited me at the same time, "I think I might be falling for you Winchester."

He smiled. "The Doctor is gonna be pissed."

I chuckled as he lifted me down, and kissed me again. "Yes, yes he is."


	23. Chapter 23

**A/n. big thanks to horcrux, random, and Katherine for your reviews of the last chapter, and another big thanks to Bttlecap, and Leemarie. I appreciate all of your support guys!**

**This story is reaching its end everybody, but as of right now I am planning a sequel. I'll explain more when I get towards writing the last chapters, and epilogue. **

**Thanks again everyone, love to all! Xoxoxo**

Chapter Twenty Three

The Doctor looked at the staircase with trepidation. "Well these don't quite look safe." He gingerly took a few steps, skipping over a broken stair and carefully making his way to the bottom.

He took out his sonic screwdriver and used it as a flashlight of sorts, and started to look around. He crouched down, running a hand over the red painted symbol on the floor.

"It's supposed to banish angels." She startled him a bit, when she appeared next to him. "But it's just a bunch of hokum, believe me, it doesn't work."

"Actually Sarah, it would have worked quite spectacularly, had the creature been an actual angel. It's quite well done, really."

She looked at him with a confused expression. "Are you saying the symbol is to banish a real angel? Like from heaven? Why would you want to banish something like that?"

The Doctor stood again, and brushed his hands off on his pants. "Believe me Sarah, some of them deserve banishing." He turned around taking in the rest of his surroundings, and then he saw it.

"The mirror?" He pointed over to the large framed mirror that leaned against the wall. There was a sheet, or piece of cloth of some kind draped over one of the corners.

She shrugged, "I brought it from our old house, but I just couldn't find anywhere to put it here that I was happy with. It's been down here covered with that cloth for almost the entire time we lived here."

"But it's uncovered now?"

"Yes, I think it must have happened in the chaos of the angel's escape. It was uncovered when the kids upstairs arrived yesterday, but that was the first time I noticed it being cleared off. I'm ashamed to say I used it to try and scare them from coming back. It obviously didn't work."

The Doctor stood in front of the glass, taking in his reflection. "You didn't try and use it on the angel then?"

She shook her head, "use it how exactly?"

"Holding it up so that the angel couldn't move because of its own reflection?"

"Wait, are you telling me that would work? I sat here for twenty years, and I could have planted that mirror in front of it the entire time?"

The Doctor raised his hands in a sort of surrender, she was getting angry, and there was no telling what her energy could be capable of. "No, I'm not saying that...exactly. I'm saying that it COULD work. Theoretically anyway, I've never tried it to be honest, but it seems like it would be worth a shot, no?"

"Yes, I suppose it is. I'm not quite sure how to lure it back here though. It has realized it can't hurt me now, and it has taken to ignoring me completely."

The Doctor looked at the spirit with pity, "you're tired Sarah. You should rest, I have a rag tag team of heroes upstairs, we'll take care of this."

"You're sure?"

He nodded, "yes I'm sure. You CAN go Sarah, and you can be free of this place if you wish, there is no need for you to return here."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. "I can't leave Doctor, I've tried. After Sy died I am ashamed to say I gave up on keeping people safe from the creature, I tried and tried to cross over, but there isn't a light for me anymore."

"Rest for now, we'll figure it out, I promise. And if there is one thing you should know about me Sarah? I always keep my promises."

She smiled sadly, and vanished without another word, leaving the Doctor standing in front of the mirror, staring at the thoughtful expression on his own face.

* * *

I was just finishing up wrapping Sam's ankle when the Doctor came back alone. "Where's Sarah?" I asked from the corner of my mouth, my lips holding the pin that would keep the bandage from unwrapping.

The Doctor flopped down on the couch, "resting. She has done enough for two lifetimes."

"So what's the plan Doc?" Dean stood next to the desk, leaning on it, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Is that okay Sam?" I asked.

"Perfect Alice, thanks." He slipped his shoe back on as I dumped a couple of aspirin out of a bottle.

"I have a plan in mind, but it is going to take everyone's help. And some of you are probably not going to like it."

I took a swallow of water from a bottle I had in my backpack, and passed it to Sam to take some pills himself. "Well lets hear it then, which of us aren't going to like it?" I asked.

He laid down, crossing his long legs, "weeellllll... Probably none of you if I'm being honest. We're going to have to split up."

"Perfect." Donna huffed, "I'm going to have to be some sort of bait aren't I?"

He wiggled his hand back and forth, and in a high pitched voice said, "ehhhh..."

Donna shook her head, "I knew it. Great, I'm going to trip and fall, and end up trapped in America in the seventies, or some other equally nauseating era. I'm going to look terrible in bell bottoms." She muttered some other things under her breath, and threw a dirty look in the Doctors direction.

"Calm down, we will all be taking an equal risk. Alice, Dean and I will head to the cemetery. We will find the angel, and lure it back here, where you and Sam will trap it with the mirror that is in the basement."

"A mirror? That's your plan?" Donna, threw her hands in the air.

"Is that even going to work?" I asked, thinking like Donna, it just sounded too easy.

"Yes. I mean, it should, theoretically." He got to his feet and clapped his hands, "okay, are we ready?"

We all looked at one another, with a combination of worry, and disbelief. This was the whole plan?

"That's it? That's the whole plan? We lure it back here, and it may or may not be trapped by looking into a mirror?" Of course it was Dean who said what we were all thinking. "What if it doesn't work?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Well then, plan B, isn't that usually the way it works?"

"And what is plan B?" Sam asked, as he got up, and walked around a bit on his newly wrapped foot.

"I'm working on it Sam. You Winchesters, always so impatient. Alright, lets go, allons-y everybody!" He turned and walked with purpose from the room.

Dean sighed, "well you've got to admire his confidence I guess." He grabbed my hand, and we all followed the Doctor out.

* * *

We left Sam and Donna back at the house, armed with only a shotgun of rocksalt, and a mirror to protect them. It seemed absolutely ridiculous, but hopefully if it didn't work, they could watch the angel until the Doctor came through with his "plan B".

We stood at the edge of the cemetery, all three of us unsure of where to start looking.

"What if we walk around the perimeter first, before we go inside?" Dean pointed to his left.

"It won't really matter, the angel will see us long before we see it." The Doctor looked around carefully, "it may be watching us already."

"Well then, I guess we just go in head first." Dean grabbed my hand again, and the three of us walked through the gates and into the dark graveyard.

"Geez a street light or two wouldn't go unappreciated." I said with a shiver. I looked around at the shapes of random tombstones in the moonlight. My teeth started chattering, more out of anxiety than cold, however.

"You're cold, the jacket is in the car on the other side of the cemetery, let's head that direction. At least if we don't find the angel, we can get you warmer."

I nodded, as I fought to keep my fear at bay. I had been in more dangerous situations by far, but the spooky factor here was immense.

I turned to see the Doctor following behind, fiddling with his sonic screwdriver, and using it to scan the area around us. "See anything unusual?"

He took his glasses from his jacket and slid them on, he squinted down at the device, "no, not yet."

We worked our way toward the impala, and when I could finally see it getting near I felt relieved. Even though I knew we weren't done here, it still made me feel better, knowing an escape route was close by.

Thinking that reminded me, "hey, where is the Tardis?" I turned around, but for the first time on our walk through here, I couldn't see the glow of his screwdriver behind us.

"Doctor?" I spun completely around, sure he was just in my periphery somewhere. "Doctor?!" My voice got louder, and more desperate.

"Where'd he go? He was right behind us." Dean and I both spun in circles, searching for any sign of him close by.

He was gone.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

"Doctor?!" I screamed it this time, and Dean grabbed me and put his hand over my mouth.

"Shhhhh, quiet Alice." He looked around us cautiously, and moved me toward the impala. He opened the door, and motioned for me to get inside.

"What? Are you crazy? We can't leave without him." I pulled my arm from his grip, and headed back into the cemetery.

"Alice?!" He whispered loudly. "Alice, don't do this. Please, at least listen to me." He followed me for a few feet.

I stopped, and turned back. I was scared, and I was looking at the one man who could help me. "I don't know what to do."

"I know." He reached and took my hand, pulling me to him and putting an arm around my waist. "But we aren't safe here Alice. I've been in this position enough times to know, we aren't the hunters here anymore." He looked around again, "it's hunting us now and we need to get back to Sam and Donna. We'll be safer if we're all together."

"But the Doctor.."

"Does he do this a lot? Disappear?"

I didn't know how to answer that one, and still get what I wanted. "No?"

He quirked an eyebrow, "that doesn't sound very reassuring."

I threw my hands in the air, "fine. This is exactly the kind of thing he does. Happy?"

"No Alice, in fact I'm quite the opposite, and frankly a little bit freaked out." He was looking over my head, into the distance.

"What's wrong?" I twisted my frame in his arms to see what he was looking at.

"I'm pretty sure I can see it. That's not good right? Now I can't look away. Get in the car Alice." He let me go, tossed me the keys, and pushed me back towards the impala, not turning to see if I got in.

I backed toward the car, looking in the direction he was, and I saw it. The first time you see one, a weeping angel that is, your instinct is to say its beautiful. Then when you realize what you are looking at, well, it's down right terrifying.

I walked to the car, but instead of climbing in on the passenger side, I went around to the drivers side. "Back straight up Dean. Straight toward my voice."

He slowly moved backward, and as he did so, I climbed in the car and slid across the seat opening the passenger door. "Keep going. Your doing perfect."

"I really need to blink here Alice. Can you see it?" He kept backing slowly, he was just feet from the car now.

I started the car, and got back out about halfway, just until it was in my vision. Fortunately it was at least a hundred yards away, had the moon not been so full and bright, we never would have been able to see it.

"I've got it, get in the car." I stood still, watching it. My hands were shaking a bit, and I had one leg still in the car.

Dean hurriedly rubbed at his eyes, and climbed into the open door behind him. I didn't move a muscle until I heard his voice. "I'm good Alice, get us out of here."

I was scared to look away. But I did, I jumped into the car and threw it into drive before I even had the door closed.

"You're going to lose sight of it eventually," I drove the long way around the cemetery to avoid having to turn around.

He nodded his head, "yep, and when I do there is no telling what it is going to do, so be ready for anything." He turned around in his seat, as I went around the corner, and then when we got too far away, he turned back around looking out the windshield. "And now we wait. Head back to the house, we need to warn Sam and Donna."

He looked over at me, and his brow furrowed. "You're driving my car."

I looked at him like he was crazy, "yes, I was kind of trying to save our lives there. I guess I thought you wouldn't mind." I thought on it for a moment, before I felt badly. "Of course you mind, I'm sorry Dean, I didn't even think." I pulled onto the road that was the house's driveway.

He shook his head, and put a hand on my arm. "I actually don't mind as much as I thought I would." He smirked at me, and I looked at him and smiled.

He glanced forward, and startled me, "Alice stop!"

I slammed on the brakes, and looked up to see it. The angel. It's hands over its face, standing in the headlights of the car, right in front of the house. "What do I do?" My shaking hands were back. "What if I hit it with the car? Think that would hurt it?"

He shook his head, "no, I'm pretty sure you'd total the car before that thing had a scrape." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "Just keep watching it. We're going to have to go through with the plan, with or without the Doctor."

I didn't move, I just stared at it and tried not to blink. I heard him press a few buttons on his phone. "Sam? It's here, are you ready?" He paused for a moment. "Well the plan has changed a bit, we can't come in through the back, it's probably going to be heading right through the front door."

Another pause, "no, just stay where you are, we'll bring it to you." He flipped the phone closed, and looked at the angel with me. "Ready?"

"Nope. You?"

"Not at all. Let's do this."

I climbed from the car first, and he slowly followed. We were going to have to walk right by it, in order to get through the front door. We had moved the bookcase before we left the house, that was meant to be an escape route since the angel would have thought it was still blocked, but that cat was about to be let out of its proverbial bag.

The plan was to get it back into the basement. There we could keep it trapped indefinitely, provided the mirror worked. The Doctor had been fairly certain it would. "They can't move when they can see each other, so theoretically it shouldn't be able to move if it can see itself." He had stated simply.

"And how do you know they can't move if they see each other?" Sam had asked.

The Doctor just smiled, "because I have four of them trapped in a basement in England."

"Fair enough," had been Sam's response.

We met in front of the car, I left the headlights on, shining brightly on the gray immobile creature in front of us. Dean grabbed my hand, neither of us looking at the other. We slowly walked toward the angel.

It stood off to the side of the staircase, we took turns staring as the other climbed the stairs to the rickety front door. I was first, I ran up the stairs and threw the front door open standing just inside. I then turned and called to Dean. He ran and stood next to me.

"We have to leave its sight to get to the basement." I said.

Dean shook his head, "no WE don't. You go first, I'll follow."

I reached over and took his hand, intertwining my fingers with his, "not a chance. We do this together, or not at all."

"We can't outrun it. Not for as fast as it got to the house."

"Nope, which means we move a bit at a time. We cleared a path to the basement door, we back up until we lose sight of it. And then it will move, and we will be able to see it again. Ready?"

Dean took a deep breath, "I wish I could kiss you one more time."

"Well look at it this way, if it gets us we'll have all the time we need to kiss when we end up back wherever it sends us, right?"

He chuckled, "true. We can live quietly in the twenties, you in some little flapper dress. You'll look hot. It'll be awesome."

I squeezed his hand, "it's going to be okay, we got this."

We backed up slowly, and took the step that would remove us from its sight. I held my breath, and blinked while I could. "It's there. In the window." Dean said.

I turned my head, and sure enough it stood at the window just to the right of the door opening.

We watched it as we backed toward the hallway, and we got about halfway down when we lost sight of it again. It didn't reappear at first, and Dean pulled me faster toward the open basement door. We were almost there, and then we must have blinked at the same time.

It was maybe three feet from us. I couldn't help it, I let out a little squeal that turned into a whimper. "It's too fast. We'll never get to the bottom of the stairs."

"Yes we will." He said it with such confidence, like he was so sure, that I just nodded.

The staircase was narrow, we had placed a piece of wood we found over the broken stair to make it easier for Sam to get down there, but there was no way we could back down it at the same time.

"You go first." Dean said, but I just shook my head.

"No, you have to go first. Stick with the plan remember?"

The Doctor was supposed to be the final pawn in our game. It was supposed to be he and I that lead the angel down the staircase, while the rest waited just out of sight. He was going to be the last one down the stairs.

Dean grunted in frustration. "I don't want to leave you here alone."

"Just watch it for a second while I blink, then get down there. I'm serious Winchester."

He squeezed my hand, and I blinked my eyes a few times. They were dry, and getting irritated. I nodded my head, "I'm ready. Go now."

He bent and kissed me on the neck. "I'll be right downstairs, I won't let it take you I promise."

I tried to smile, but failed miserably, as I felt him leave and heard him climbing down the steps.

I backed slowly down the first stair, then the second. I was down about five steps when I realized that one more, and I would lose sight of it. "Are you ready?" I tried to call quietly, and my voice cracked in fear.

"Yes Alice. We're here, you're safe."

I gave the angel one last look, and then I closed my eyes, and launched myself backwards.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

I landed in Dean's waiting arms, and he and Sam sat me on my feet at the bottom of the stairs. I turned quickly, fully prepared for the angel to be inches from me. But it wasn't.

It stood at the top of the stairs, right in the doorway. It's face was uncovered, and it's head was tilted to the side, as if it was looking at us in curiosity.

"What in the hell is it doing?" Sam asked, nudging me.

I didn't look away from it, I just shrugged, "I have no idea."

"We need to back up, get out of its line of sight." Dean said, as he grasped my arm, pulling me backward. "It's not going to come down the stairs with the three of us watching it."

"Oy! I could use some help over here." Donna called from around the corner. I glanced to see her balancing the mirror on her own.

"Sorry Donna," Sam rushed over to her side.

"Let's back up." Dean nodded at me, and I nodded back. We took two full steps back, and it was out of our sight.

Nothing happened. The four of us stood there, and nothing happened. "Where's the Doctor?" Donna asked.

"Excellent question." I muttered. "We lost him in the cemetery, I have no idea where he is."

"I'm going to look again," Dean stepped forward, and I grabbed his arm.

"Wait! It could be a trap." I whispered.

"Wait, what? The Doctor disappeared? How are we going to find him?" Donna let go of her side of the mirror, and Sam grunted with its sudden weight.

I looked from Dean to Donna, wondering which I should handle first. Dean took advantage of my distraction and stepped forward.

He stood on the bottom stair. "Um guys? You might want to see this."

Sam lowered the mirror, and the three of us stepped to the bottom of the staircase, next to Dean. The angel was still there, standing completely still on the top step.

"It hasn't moved." Sam said.

"Exactly. It's just sitting there, what's it game?" Dean went up another step, and I instinctively reached out to stop him. "I think it's...smiling?"

I looked at the angels face. He was right, it wasn't smiling exactly, but it looked quite smug.

I looked around us. "Oh crap." I muttered, I walked in a circle in the basement, and ended up standing where I started. "It's smiling because it's won."

Dean looked down at me over his shoulder, "how do you figure that?"

I motioned with my hands, "look around you. There is no way out of here except that doorway. It doesn't want to come down here, it won't be fooled like that again. But it has managed.."

"To trap us all down here like rats," Sam finished my thought.

I nodded. "Exactly. Either we touch it getting out of here, or we sit down here till we rot."

* * *

I sat at the bottom of the staircase cross legged looking up at the angel. It looked back at me with the same expression it had been wearing for hours now. Sam sat next to me, and Donna sat against the wall, chewing her fingernails. Dean paced. He had been for over an hour now.

His shadow jumped all over the walls, the flames on the candles we lit to keep the basement out of complete darkness, bending with his movements.

"Dean, just sit down and chill. Your driving me crazy." Sam said what we were all thinking.

"Let's call Bobby." Dean stopped next to Sam.

"And have him do what exactly? He is at least a two day drive away, and what's he going to do, dig us an exit?"

"Well we have to do something Sam. I'm going freaking crazy just sitting here."

"I'm guessing that is exactly what it was hoping for. You doing something rash, or stupid." Donna said. She got to her feet and stretched her arms. "The Doctor will come. He won't leave Alice and I like this. He wouldn't do that."

I nodded, "I agree. Donna is right, the Doctor would never just walk away if we were in trouble."

"Maybe we should take turns and try and get some sleep. It's the middle of the night, and I'm assuming the rest of you are as exhausted as I am." Sam laid down on his back on the cold basement floor, crossing his arms under his head.

"It's freezing down here." Donna rubbed her arms, "and there is no way I could sleep with that thing watching us." She pointed up the staircase.

I slipped out of Dean's jacket and handed it to Donna. "Put this on, it will help."

"Should be enjoying Christmas dinner with some French people in the seventeenth century right now." She muttered as she thrust her arms through the sleeves. "They probably had pudding and everything." She sat next to me by the stairs on the floor.

"You're going to get cold now." She motioned at me.

I smiled back at her, "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Dean grunted and muttered something, and then settled in behind me, pulling me back against his chest and putting his arms around me.

"Sorry, what was that? I didn't quite understand the mumbling." I smiled at him over my shoulder.

"I just said that I would keep you warm, and that I was happy to do it." He lied with a smile.

"Uh, yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what you said." I responded sarcastically.

"It's just... Well Sam and I aren't really used to playing defense here. We usually do the attacking, not sit around waiting to be attacked."

"I did bring down the shotgun." Sam leaned up on an elbow to see us. "If it makes you feel better, you could try shooting it in the face a few times."

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea." Dean responded, and we all chuckled.

"It moved." Donna jumped up suddenly, and pointed a shaky finger back up the stairs.

Sure enough, we had all been distracted, and been a bit too relaxed. It was down the stairs and within feet of us.

"Shit," Dean jumped to his feet, lifting me with him, and backing us both against the wall.

Sam too was on his feet, he limped around the corner and picked up the shotgun. He pumped the gun with one hand, and came back around the corner. He raised the shotgun and fired it directly into the angel's terrifying teeth bared face.

Nothing, it didn't even flinch. "We need to get out of here, and the only way to do that is to let it get to the bottom of the stairs. We can't go anywhere with it where it is." Dean muttered into my ear.

I nodded, and he grabbed my hand pulling me to the side of the staircase. Sam and Donna were the only ones in its eyesight now.

Dean motioned toward the mirror, and I picked it up quietly. The two of us held it up in front of us, and Dean simply said "Sam?" And Sam gave an imperceptible nod.

"Move Donna, over with everyone else." Sam pointed at us.

She looked terrified to look away from the angel, but she did. She saw us with the mirror, and then looked at Sam. "No, you are too slow on that ankle. I'll go last." She said in a shaky voice.

Sam shook, his head, "Together then?" Sam reached out for her hand, not looking away from the angel.

"Why not sunshine." She took his hand.

Dean looked down at me, "listen, if this doesn't work..."

"Shhh." I reached up, and pulled his face down to mine in a kiss. "Shut up Winchester. It's going to work."

"One.." Sam whispered, "Two... Three."

Sam grabbed Donna, and pulled her around the corner of the stairs. Both of them landing at Dean, and my feet, just below the mirror.

"Dean behind you!" It was chaos. I was pretty sure it was Sam that shouted.

The angel had gone around the stairs in the opposite direction and was now right behind us. I tried to turn, but we were in an awkward jumble, and the shadows being thrown by the candles made things even more confusing.

And then I tripped, over what or who, I can't say, but it was enough. The mirror was pulled from Deans hands, and I fell with it. It crashed to the ground, shattering underneath me into a million pieces.

I heard Dean shout, "Does someone have eyes on it?"

And I think someone responded. My head was ringing, I must have hit it on the floor. I raised my hand to rub it, and felt warm sticky blood running down my arm. "Dean I broke the mirror." I muttered, trying to get the words out.

I realized the gravity of what I had just said, "Dean!" I said louder, "I broke the mirror, it's broken, I don't know what to do."

I think he responded, but I didn't hear. I felt his arms lift me from the ground, I tried to say how sorry I was that I fell, but I couldn't seem to get my mouth to work.

The stars closed in, and I knew I was going to pass out. But suddenly it didn't matter, my ears filled with the sound I loved more than anything on any world.

* * *

The Doctor leaned against a wall with a smug look on his face. As the Tardis appeared around the angel, he hoped it had experienced the terror it so easily bestowed on so many humans.

It stood in the center of the room he had dedicated to it. It's face uncovered, it's teeth fully bared.

"Welcome. This is your new place of residence. You're probably not going to be a big fan." He stepped closer to the angel, just out of its outstretched hand's reach. "I saw you in the cemetery, and I know you saw me. You probably thought you scared me off, eh?"

The Doctor circled the statue like some form of prey. "I realized you probably wouldn't follow me if I was with my friends, so I left them to get this ready for you."

He stepped back in front of the angel, and spun around as if showing off the room. "What do you think?" Every wall in the 12x12 room was covered in mirrors. "It took every mirror on the Tardis. Wellll not every mirror, I mean I have to have one for myself."

He leaned in closer, "my hair doesn't just do this on its own you know."

Just then there were voices, "Doctor? Where are you? We need help, Alice is hurt!"

The Doctor pointed at the speaker on the ceiling where Donna's voice seemed to be coming from. "Sounds like I need to go. Those are my friends looking for me."

He suddenly got a very serious look on his face. He stepped around to the angel's back, and leaned in close to its ear. "You should probably start praying now that my friend Alice is okay. You might not enjoy your new home here, but I promise you, if she is badly damaged? Well, this is paradise compared to what I will have in store for you."

He turned his back and left the room, leaving the angel alone permanently.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/n. well maybe one or two more chapters, and then an epilogue. Then this story is finished. **

**I am considering adding to the story, I first considered a sequel, but I think I might just add a "part two" to this same story.**

**I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this. So speak up please!**

**Thanks for reading, and reviewing. I know the crossover audience is a bit smaller, so every word from you absolutely means the world to me!**

Chapter Twenty Six

I could hear arguing.

"She needs stitches, we should get her to a hospital." It was Donna's voice.

Dean responded, his voice closer to my ear, "I think it's okay. Sam and I have done our share of bandaging, she doesn't need stitches, the butterfly bandage should be enough."

"What about her head? She might have a concussion."

I let my eyes flutter open, and Dean's face was above me. I realized he was holding me in his arms. "I think she's okay. We'll know more when she wakes up."

"I'm awake." I managed to croak.

"Hey there." He brushed my hair off my forehead. "You want to try and sit up?"

I nodded slowly, and he helped me sit forward. We were sitting on the floor...of the Tardis.

"I'm home," I whispered. I looked around, and saw him enter the room on my right. "Doctor." I said it almost with reverence.

I saw Dean's face fall a bit, when I reached up for the man who rushed toward me.

He lifted me from Dean's arms, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he held me a foot off the ground. He hugged me tightly, and lowered me down, taking me by the arms and looking at me from head to toe.

"Donna said you were hurt. Are you alright?"

I realized I had no idea. "I think so." I looked down at myself, and saw a new bandage on my arm.

"You cut your arm when you fell on the mirror, and you have a new bump on your head, but we think you're okay," Dean said quietly from the floor.

The Doctor moved me aside, and reached out a hand. Dean looked at it skeptically, and climbed to his feet. He reached out slowly, and shook the Doctors outstretched hand.

"Well done, both you and your brother." The Doctor looked at Dean with a smile. "Thank you for taking care of them," he looked from me to Donna. "I'm sorry things turned out to be a little more complicated than I anticipated."

Dean nodded, "and I guess I should thank you for saving our butts there at the end." He smiled back at the Doctor, and I stepped over and wrapped my arms around him.

He looked down at me, his smile reaching his green eyes. "I don't know about you, but I could really use a burger and a nap."

"YES. Yes to both of those." Donna said.

I chuckled, "I think I know a place in town. I've heard they have pretty good burgers."

I looked around, realizing we were missing someone. "Where's Sam?"

"Just outside on the phone with Bobby." Dean said simply, and I nodded. I knew their priorities still laid with finding the demon that killed their parents.

"Well bring him inside." The Doctor shouted, as he moved around the console throwing switches. "I'll get us to your restaurant in no time."

"Literally." He added, after a moments thought.

Dean shook his head, and waved his hands. "No. No no no, I think I'll drive if it's all the same to you."

I smiled and wrapped my arm firmly around his waist, "come on then cowboy, lets go and get Sam. And we'll meet them there."

We headed for the door, but I stopped as he opened it. I turned back to the Doctor. MY Doctor. "One second," I said.

I ran back to his arms, and he held me tightly. "I'm glad you're safe Alice Temple."

I nodded, and looked up at him. "And when I get back, you are going to explain how that's possible."

"You're coming back then?" He said it with a mixture of hope, and skepticism.

"Of course I am. This is my home."

He just nodded, and pulled me to him resting his chin on the top of my head. "And it always will be Alice. But don't let that stop you from having a life. Please."

I went up on my tip toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I haven't yet, have I?"

I smiled and ran back to Dean, where he waited for me by the door.

* * *

"Just answer the question. Is it fixed?"

It was late afternoon by the time we all finished our food, and I had been up for more than twenty four hours. I was exhausted, and in no mood to argue.

We stood outside the hotel, just the two of us, Dean waited for me inside.

He shook his head, "no, technically it's not. But I don't think you are thinking about the ramifications."

I waved a hand at him, "actually, I've been thinking of nothing but." I looked down at my feet, afraid I might get emotional if I looked into the pity in his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, "yes, I'm sure. It's the right thing to do. Just give me one more day, okay?"

He nodded, and pulled me into a hug. I let a few tears escape, before I could stop them.

"You could stay you know. It would be easier."

I smirked and wiped my cheeks. "For who?" Was all I said as I walked away.

* * *

Maggie looked up at me from over her glasses, as I entered the hotel's lobby. She lowered the newspaper she was looking at, and smiled at me.

"Well from what the boys have said, it seems our little town is safe again."

I nodded, and leaned on the counter in front of her. "Just out of curiosity, what exactly did they say?"

She chuckled, "oh just some nonsense about how little, tiny you helped them catch a monster." She patted my arm, "I'm guessing the truth is not quite as exciting."

"Oh, you never know." Was all I said, and I turned for the stairs.

"I gave the boys an extra key to your room, by the way."

I stopped in the middle of the staircase and turned back, she was looking back down at the newspaper. "The smaller one, put it in his pocket." She looked back up, and I couldn't stop blushing at the smile on her face.

"I told you one of them would catch your eye, now didn't I?"

"Indeed you did Maggie, indeed you did." I shook my head, and headed up the rest of the stairs.

Sam was leaving my room with his laptop bag, as I entered the hallway.

"Oh, hey. I was just... You know, getting my stuff out of your room."

I nodded, and walked over to him. I put my arms around his waist and hugged him. "Thank you Sam. For everything."

He stood still for a moment, and then he hugged me back. "Thank YOU Alice. We wouldn't have known what to do without your help."

I stepped back, and he smiled down at me.

"Dean says you might join us on a few jobs." He slipped on his backpack and put his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth a bit.

I wished I knew him better, I couldn't really read how he felt about that. "Only if it's okay with you Sam, I would never want to be in the way."

He shook his head, "no Alice. I don't think you understand the change I have seen in Dean since we met you. If you can help him find the least bit of peace, let alone happiness? Well, I'd chain you to the car." He smiled down at me, and I smiled back, even though I felt like crying.

"Anyway," he moved past me to the door of their room. "Dean's waiting for you in your room, I'm going to get some sleep, and then see what I can do about the Sarah situation."

I grabbed his arm, "what do you mean? What's going to happen to her Sam?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. I figured I'll go and talk to her, and see what she wants to do."

"I don't understand."

"Well, my hope is that she will be able to cross over on her own now that things are taken care of."

I frowned, "and if she can't?"

"Then she gets a choice. She can stay at the house, as long as she promises to do so in peace. Or she can tell me where she is buried, and I will salt and burn her bones. That will move her on, but unfortunately, I won't be able to tell her WHERE it will move her on to."

That broke my heart, "those are choices no person should have to make." I whispered.

He shrugged, "I agree Alice. But I don't know what else to do."

He said goodnight, and went into their room. I stood in the hall crying. I didn't want Dean to see my tears, so I wiped my face and prepared myself.

I was going to enjoy this day, if it killed me.

And when I opened the door, and saw him laying on my bed smiling at me, I wondered if it actually would.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

I smiled back at him. He laid on his back, his legs crossed, his arms behind his head. His shoes in a pile at the foot of my bed.

"Comfy Winchester?" I walked over to the window, and closed the heavy curtains, drawing the room into darkness.

"Yes actually. Your bed is quite comfortable. Although your room is a bit too girly for my taste."

"Sorry it doesn't suit you," I replied sarcastically. I slipped my tennis shoes off, and climbed onto the bed.

I laid on his chest, and he absently ran his fingers through my hair. I heard his breathing getting heavier, and his hand slipped to the bed as he fell asleep.

I leaned up on my elbow, and softly ran my fingers over his face. Memorizing every detail of what he looked like when he was at peace.

"I think I love you Dean Winchester. Is that crazy?" I whispered, as I lightly ran my thumb over his lips.

He shifted his weight a bit, and for a moment I wondered if he had heard me. But if he did, he made no sign of it. I laid back down on his chest, and fell asleep listening to his heart beat.

* * *

"I think I love you, is that crazy?" The words rolled around in his mind as he slept. Had he really heard her say that?

He was pretty sure he had, but he made a point of letting her believe he didn't. He didn't want to do or say anything that would embarrass her, or make her uncomfortable.

All he knew was, when he woke hours later with her resting peacefully in his arms, he realized he had never been happier with a woman. What if he loved her too?

"Me? In love?" He thought it to himself silently, but as he looked down at her long eyelashes, and listened to her breathe, he knew he was.

This right here? This was a moment that would stick with him forever.

* * *

I felt him before I opened my eyes to see him. He was watching me, much like I had watched him when he fell asleep first.

I felt him shift, and then I felt his lips softly meet my forehead. And then my nose, and my cheek. He nuzzled my ear, and I raised my hand up to run through his hair.

For a moment we just looked into each others eyes. The room was dark, it had to be the middle of the night.

In one swift motion, he rolled me onto my back and hovered over me. "You are. Beautiful."

I reached up and touched his face, "I was thinking the same thing about you."

I reached down and grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt, and pulled it up over his head.

"Alice Temple, are you trying to get into my pants?" He bent down and took my earlobe into his mouth, "because you missed." He whispered right into my ear.

"Dean?" I gasped, my voice catching in my throat.

"Yes?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

"Done."

* * *

The Doctor paced around the console.

"What is it, you've been fidgeting like crazy ever since we got back here." Donna sat on a stool painting her fingernails.

"I'm having a moral dilemma. And you're not even helping." He motioned toward her, as if she was supposed to know exactly what his issue was.

Donna jumped off the stool and walked to his side. She leaned back on the console, her arms crossed over her chest. "Well I would be happy to give some input, if you told me what the problem is."

He opened his mouth, and then closed it again. He pulled a few levers, and then grunted in frustration.

"What. Is. The. Problem." Donna asked slowly.

He flopped his head forward onto his hands, "Alice."

"What about her?"

"She's making a rash decision, that I believe she will regret."

"Is it something that should be her decision to make?"

He circled the room, tapping his sonic screwdriver on his lips. "I could fix it."

It's like he wasn't even listening, so Donna just sighed and let him rant. "I can leave right now, fix it, and she will never know the difference. But if I give her what she wants, it's quite possible she will be miserable the rest of her life."

She grabbed his arm as he passed her for the third time, and then turned him to face her. "Tell me. Just stop pacing, and explain."

"Sarah Williams. Alice wants to go back and save Sarah Williams."

"Is that even possible?" Donna kept a grip on his arm, keeping him in place.

"Theoretically? Yes, it's possible. We would have to travel back to her in the forties, around five years after she was taken. Just until she gets the house finished, we return, within moments of her being taken ideally. Then we recapture the angel, and let her return to her life with her husband."

He said it like it was all so simple.

"It's the right thing to do, Alice is right about that. Sarah deserves to relive her life if we can help her. Not to mention the other people that the angel displaced."

Donna shook her head, "Time travel stuff...It's all so...confusing."

He shrugged, and went back to fiddling with the lever in front of him. "Not really, the basic idea is that she will only have to live in the past long enough to build the house, rather than spend the rest of her life there."

"So where does the moral dilemma come into play?"

He slumped back into a chair that was behind him, running his hands through his already crazy hair. "Doing this will change everything for Alice."

Donna stood still for a moment, thinking it through. She didn't want to sound stupid by asking him to keep explaining everything he meant.

He must have seen confusion on her face.

"None of this will have happened if we change the past." He motioned around himself. "None of it."

Suddenly she understood. She would have had to have been blind to not notice the way Dean looked at Alice. Not to mention the way she looked back at him.

"They never will have met."

The Doctor looked down at his shoes. "She wants to go with us. That means she would remember everything, but no, he won't even remember meeting her."

"Wait, are you implying with your "_moral dilemma_" that you want us to go without her? To leave her here, to forget with everyone else?"

"Think of the pain we would be saving her! She would never remember meeting him, let alone falling in love with him. I'd be doing her a favor really."

Donna was angry. No, Donna was furious. "You do not get to make this choice for her. How dare you even consider it! Haven't you ever heard that its better to have loved and lost?"

"That..." The Doctor pointed at her, and stammered. "Has never been proven."

He was impossible to stay angry at, she knew he thought he was making the right decision. "I know you love Alice, but sparing her pain isn't going to change anything. YOU will always know what you did, and if she ever found out, she might not forgive you."

He was back to looking at his converse.

"Did she specifically say she wanted to go? That she wants to remember?"

He nodded, took off his glasses, and rubbed at his eyes. "Yes."

"Then you don't have a decision to make here. If she can't have the person she loves, at least let her keep the memories of him that she does have."

"It's going to be difficult for her."

"Don't be daft, it's going to be down right miserable. She's going to need lots of cheering up."

He looked up at her, and raised an eyebrow. "Like maybe Christmas in France cheering up?"

"More like a hundred Christmases in France." Donna mumbled.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/n. Last full chapter here. Next one will be short chap, and epilogue. **

**This story has been so much fun! I really hope all of you have enjoyed it!**

**The irony of Donna's feelings on Alice's situation was not lost on me. I have always felt like Donna didn't quite get the send off she deserved. Personally, I think they owe her another cameo at least... She deserves more!**

Chapter Twenty Eight

If I had had the ability to pause time I would have.

We didn't leave the bed, talking for hours at a time. I had no idea how much time had passed, and I found that I really didn't care.

His head laid on my stomach, and I ran my hands through his hair. He talked about past cases, and finding the yellow eyed demon. I listened, but found it difficult not to be distracted.

Time was winding down for us. And he didn't even know it.

"Dean?"

I interrupted what he was saying, but I couldn't lay there any longer without asking.

"Yeah?" He tilted his head up to see my face.

I sat up, and motioned for him to do the same, and when he sat facing me I realized that I should have left him laying down. It would have been easier without seeing his damned eyes.

"Would you ever consider traveling. With me, I mean?"

He shrugged, "sure, I mean Sam and I have things to take care of, but yeah, I'd love that. Where do you want to go? Like Disneyland or something? Ooo something with a beach, that sounds good, right?"

I shook my head, he didn't quite understand me. "No that's not what I meant. I mean TRAVELING, with the Doctor." I knew what his reply would be before he spoke, I reached out and put a hand over his mouth as he shook his head.

"We could go now. Like right now. We could see and do some amazing things. And you could be there with me. And Sam could come, and it would be amazing, I promise."

He moved my hand gently. "I can't Alice, you know that. Sam and I, we have to finish what we started."

A tear slipped from my eye. "Please Dean? I know it's unfair of me to ask, but we could bring you back within minutes of when you left."

"Alice," he wiped the tear from my cheek. "We have plenty of time to travel with the Doctor, even though the thought of it freaks me the hell out."

He smiled, and I did my best to smile back. "I am sorry Alice, but I can't go now. I just can't. Hell, I'm already worried that thinking about you is going to be a distraction for me, until we can come back for you."

"I'm a distraction?" I guess I hadn't considered that a possibility. I had convinced myself that my feelings were much stronger than his.

"No,... Well yes, but not in a bad way or anything." He was nervous, afraid he'd hurt my feelings. "I just meant that when there was trouble, I found myself more worried about your safety, than taking care of the situation."

I didn't know what to say, technically it was going to be a non-issue, but I had to know what he truly thought. I put a hand on his arm. "If you feel that way Dean, I think it's a bad idea for me to come with you and Sam. I don't want to put you into any more danger than you already manage to find for yourselves."

He shook his head, he pushed me back onto my back and leaned over me. "As far as I'm concerned," he ran a hand down my side, making me shiver. "I don't ever want to be without you again."

* * *

A couple of hours later, just after we had gotten out of the shower, there was a knock on the door.

"Dean? I'm sorry, but Bobby called, we've got to go."

Dean groaned, and sighed. "Alright Sam, give me a bit, I'll get my stuff together."

I stood in front of the mirror, taking in not only my own reflection, but Dean's as he looked toward the door. I had taken to looking at his as much as possible. Storing every moment, memorizing every detail of his face, his body, his voice.

He would not remember, but everything about him would be seared into my memories forever. The only man I would ever love, I knew that now.

I smiled when he caught me watching him. I was wearing his black Led Zeppelin T-shirt, and he put an arm around my waist as I ran my fingers through my long wet hair.

"I guess you're going to want this back." I reached down to take off the shirt, and he put a hand on my arm.

"Keep it. I'll get it when I come back for you." He leaned down and kissed me on the neck, and left the bathroom.

I could hear him rifling through his duffel bag, and I fought the tears that were forming. Keep it together Alice. It's the right decision. I calmed myself, wiped my cheeks, and splashed some water on my face.

I walked out and watched him slip on another T-shirt, and grab his bag. He walked over to me, and dropped the bag next to my feet. He took me in his arms, and rested his chin on my head.

"Where will you be? In the next few weeks I mean, so I know where to find you."

I shrugged, and laid my head on his chest. I took a deep breath before I spoke, swallowing the lump, that had taken over my throat. "I think I'll go with the Doctor and Donna for a bit. Then I'll go home to Florida and check on my grandparents. My grandfather's health is bad."

"I programmed a few numbers into your phone. Some are mine, some will get you Sam, and one will get you Bobby, just in case you can't find me."

I nodded my head, and clutched him tightly to me, afraid to let him go. He lifted my chin and kissed me. Passionately, and with longing.

"You could just come with us now." He said, I shook my head as he went on, "I'll keep you safe, please Alice, just come with me."

I closed my eyes, "I can't. I'm sorry. I NEED to go."

He kissed me again, and reluctantly let go of me. I turned my back quickly, and finished getting dressed. He watched me quietly, as I slid my shoes and socks on.

I grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair I laid it on and tossed it to him. I turned to grab my bag, and heard him open the door to the room.

This was it, this was the end. I was ready. Absolutely devastated, but ready. I picked up my stuff, and followed him out.

The town looked completely different now. Word must have spread quickly that things were safe again. There were kids running up and down the street, and Maggie stood outside the gas station talking with some other women from the town. She waved and smiled at us, and we waved back. Sam headed over to where we stood from next to the car.

I was about to say something when I heard the Tardis. It was back behind the hotel, just out of sight of the street.

"There's your ride I see." Dean pointed at the blue box that the three of us could easily see, but others would walk right past without noticing.

"Yep, seems so." It seemed so insufficient, but I had nothing.

"Thanks again Alice." Sam said, he walked toward me, and bent to give me a hug.

"Take care of him Sam." I whispered into his ear, "please don't let him do anything stupid okay?"

"I'll do my best." He looked down at me with a furrowed brow. "We're going to see you soon, right?"

I nodded, "yeah, of course." He looked skeptical, but nodded back.

Dean walked over and hugged me. "I'll come for you soon, be ready okay?" He bent down and kissed me.

"I'll always be ready for you Dean. I promise you that, I'll wait forever if I have to." Tears were escaping now.

He wiped my tears and kissed me again. And then he let me go.

He turned, "come on Sam, Bobby's waiting." And they both headed for the car.

I took a few steps toward the Tardis, I reached to open the door, I was inches away. I stopped.

I turned and ran, "Dean?!"

He stepped from behind the car, after throwing his bag and coat in the back. "Alice?"

I threw myself into his arms. I kissed him with everything I had in me, my hands in his hair. He lifted me off the ground and kissed me back.

He rested his forehead on mine, my feet dangled a foot off the ground. "I love you Dean Winchester. I love you, and I need you to know that." I whispered to his confused face. "Never forget how important you are to someone out here in the world. Promise me, okay?"

"Alice?" I heard the Doctor's voice behind me, "we're here, are you ready?" He asked tentatively.

"Promise me Dean."

He lowered me to the ground, and kissed me softly one more time. "I promise Alice. And I love you too."

My heart broke, and soared at the same time. For a moment, I wanted to call the whole thing off. But I thought of Sarah, I had no idea what would become of her if I didn't go through with it. And the other ten people who belonged with their families. No, I had to do this. And I NEEDED to remember him.

I stepped back, and smiled through my tears. "Be careful, okay boys?"

"We will, keep your phone on you, I'll call you soon."

His expression was sad, like part of him knew.

"Of course."

They got in the car, and I stood and waved at them. When the car turned down the street, I turned and ran right past the Doctor and straight for the Tardis.

I ran through the door, and the Doctor and Donna followed right behind me.

"Alice?" I vaguely heard his soft voice speaking to me.

I leaned against the nearest wall. I sank to the floor, buried my head in my knees, and sobbed.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/n. I had some magical words written to say to you all, it was heartfelt, and beautiful, and then the server went down. /sigh**

**I'm kidding. It wasn't beautiful, but it was pretty heartfelt. :)**

**This is the last chapter, but since it turned out longer than I expected, the epilogue will be a separate entry. That one will be in a few days.**

**Thanks for reading this story y'all, it has been so much fun to write. I appreciate the time it takes for people to read, let alone write a nice review.**

**For anyone that might be interested, I am pretty sure this story has a part two, I just have to figure it all out. Love you guys!**

Chapter Twenty Nine

"Alice?"

It was Donna, I felt her sit next to me. She laid a hand on my back, and then gently pulled me toward her.

I let her put her arms around me, and hold me there on the floor.

"Alice we don't have to do this." The Doctor crouched in front of me. "And even if we did, you don't have to go."

"Yes I do."

"No Alice, Donna and I..."

Donna didn't let him finish, "she's made her decision Doctor, now get us out of here." She said it gently, but firmly, making it clear he wasn't to argue anymore.

I heard him climb the stairs, and then I heard the Tardis start up to take us to the past.

I cleaned myself up while we traveled. Donna sat next to me as I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, and tied the back of Dean's black t-shirt in a knot so it would fit me better.

"It's his I'm guessing." She motioned to the shirt as I tied it.

I nodded, and snuffled my nose a bit. "It's the one piece of him I get to keep."

"Are you going to find him again? After all this is over, I mean."

I shrugged, "I don't know. He has a lot of things to take care of. I don't want to be a distraction. Maybe I'll wait a year or two, and then see where life takes us."

She nodded, and stood next to me. "This is a brave decision you've made."

I shook my head. "There wasn't a decision, it's about doing what's right."

"We're here." The Doctor called from the other room.

I gave Donna a small smile, and we headed out.

We exited in front of the house, it was the same, but totally different at the same time.

I looked up at it, and couldn't help but think of how strange it was that my entire future was about to change, with a decision made in the nineteen forties. Time travel was a bitch sometimes.

It didn't take long to convince Sarah. When the words, "of course time travel can take you home, it brought you here didn't it?", were spoken, she really didn't have an argument.

The Doctor sometimes had trouble with timing, but fortunately he nailed it this time. We landed in the basement seconds after Sarah's confrontation with the angel, capturing it in the same way the Doctor did the first time, as well as returning Sarah to where she belonged.

When she went to walk up the stairs she stopped. "What do I tell him?" She looked down at her nineteen forties dress, and back up at us.

The Doctor shrugged, "anything you want Sarah. Tell him the truth, or tell him nothing. Your only five years older, he'll never notice the difference."

She nodded, and her eyes got teary, "thank you." And then she turned and ran up the stairs calling Sy's name.

I cried again, this time from relief. I knew I had made the right choice, I just had to learn to live with it now.

* * *

Eight months later...

I had managed to track down the boys twice. The first time, I missed them by a few days. But the second time, I got there soon enough to catch a glimpse of them.

I didn't talk to them though. I just watched. It was good to see them still doing well, and working.

The Doctor was constantly checking on me. I never told him that I was following the boys, but I think he knew anyway.

My grandfather died not long after everything, and the Doctor insisted on taking me away for a while. I let him, and when I got back, my grandmother died not long after. It made me happy that they were together again, she hadn't done well without him.

When I went looking for the boys the third time, well that's when everything had changed. I followed all the strange things that had been happening, and when I finally narrowed down where they might be, I was surprised to find Sam there alone.

He was in a bar. Sam. In a bar, alone? That made no sense. I watched him for a while, as he drank, and drank, and drank. Something was definitely wrong. I decided to see if I could find out.

"Hi." I sat casually on the stool next to him. My heart pounded in my chest so loud, I was sure he could hear it.

He barely glanced at me. "Hi." He took another shot of whatever the drink was the bartender kept putting in front of him, and then tapped on the bar. "Another."

The bartender looked at me with a raised eyebrow, and then back at Sam. "Are you sure buddy? You've had quite a bit already."

Sam said nothing, he just glared at the guy until he relented and filled the glass again.

My hands shook on either side of the soda I had been nursing for the hour I had been watching. "Are you...alright?" I reached out a hand to place on his arm, but thought better of it and snatched it back before he noticed.

"Nope." He slammed the drink, and put the shot glass back down. And then he turned to face me.

My heart broke, it was written all over his face. Loss. I should know, I've seen it on my own face a million times.

His eyes were swollen, his long hair an unkempt mess. "Would you like to talk about it? I've been told I'm a pretty good listener."

He reached out and put hand on my arm, "how about we get out of here, go to my hotel room, and NOT talk about it."

I snatched my arm from his grasp. "You're not thinking clearly. You've had too much to drink Sam."

I realized my mistake immediately, he frowned at me. "How did you know my name?"

Shit Alice, nice work. "Um, you told me. When I sat down, don't you remember?"

He looked confused for a second, and then recovered. "Oh yeah, what did you say your name was again?"

I sighed in relief, I was fortunate he was as drunk as he was. "Alice, my name is Alice."

He nodded, "oh yeah, that's right. Anyway Alice, it's been a pretty shitty week for me. Did I mention THAT when you sat down?"

"No, but I kind of gathered that things weren't going well." I motioned to the empty glass in front of him. "What happened?"

He tapped the bar again, and the bartender filled the glass without argument this time. He held the glass tightly, instead of downing it immediately. "I lost my brother."

I inhaled, and held it. I fought tears, and closed my eyes, suddenly feeling like I was going to throw up. "I'm sorry." I whispered. I cleared my throat, "how did it happen?"

He chuckled, and looked sideways at me. "You wouldn't believe me, even if I did tell you." He swallowed the drink, and got to his feet, swaying dangerously to one side as he did so.

"Whoa, Sam." I grabbed his arm, keeping him on his feet. "I think it's time for you to get some sleep."

He snorted, "hmph, sleep. I might not ever do that again."

"Give me your keys Sam, I'm taking you to your hotel." I turned to the bartender, "excuse me, what does my friend owe you?"

He handed me a bar tab, and I paid it, leaving him a big tip. "Thanks." He muttered, as he took my cash without expression. "Make sure he doesn't drive."

I nodded, "I will, thank you." I turned back to Sam, still gripping his arm with my free hand. "C'mon Sam, let's get out of here."

He muttered something, but didn't argue, as I ducked under his arm and walked him slowly outside to the impala. I fished into his jacket, and pulled out the keys. "Get in." I opened the passenger side door, and was relieved when he didn't argue with me.

"Where are you staying?" He grumbled again, and pulled a key from his pocket with a hotel key chain on it.

I closed his door, and went around to the drivers side door, and stopped for a moment. I heaved a sob, and swallowed it as quickly as I could. I needed to get him safely to his hotel, it's what Dean would want.

I wiped my teary eyes as I climbed in and started the car. I checked the address of the hotel, and looked at a nearby street sign. We weren't too far away it seemed, so I headed in what I was pretty sure was the right direction.

I thought he had passed out, and it startled me when he spoke. "My brother would kill me if he knew I let you drive his car."

I chuckled, "he might not mind as much as you think Sam."

We drove in silence for a few minutes. "Your brother? Can you tell me what happened?" It was the question I didn't want to keep asking, but I had to know.

He scoffed, "well that depends, how much do you know about hellhounds?"

The overwhelming nausea took over again, I actually knew more than I wanted to about them. I had been doing a lot of studying since I had been back. "More than you think actually." Was the response I gave him.

I pulled up in front of the hotel and found a parking space. He stayed quiet as I helped him to his room. I opened the door and took him inside, letting him drop on the bed.

I pulled the blanket over him, and pulled off his shoes. I looked down at him, my heart absolutely broken. "Do you need anything Sam? What can I do to help?"

He opened his eyes. "No one can help. He traded his soul for my life, and now he is trapped in hell and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it."

I let the tears roll down my face, and turned for the door. I had to get out of here, I had to be free of this whole situation.

"Alice?" He called to my back, I stopped but didn't turn back. "I don't know who you are, or why you care, but thank you."

"He wouldn't want this Sam." I said, still not facing him. "He'd want you to be strong, and fight back. Maybe saving him isn't an option, but there are people out there who need your help. Don't give up Sammy, you're stronger than you think."

I dropped the impala's keys on the table by the door, and left.

When I got outside, I reached for my cell to call a cab to come and get me, and then I changed my mind, and I pulled my other cell out instead. He answered almost immediately.

"Alice? Are you okay?"

I sobbed into the phone, "please come and get me. I can't stay here any longer."

I didn't finish the sentence, before I heard the Tardis landing behind me.

I ran to his open arms, and let myself break again.

* * *

It was a couple of days before I confronted him about the fact that I was sure there was something wrong. He was alone, which I hated, and acting incredibly strangely.

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?" He said as he walked beside me through an outdoor market on a planet whose name I couldn't even remember.

"Whatever it is you aren't telling me."

We walked a bit more, he stayed quiet, but took my hand. Finally when we reached the end of the street, he stopped. I saw the resolve on his face, he had decided to tell me.

He turned me to face him, "things are changing Alice. I'll be changing soon, and I need you to be prepared for it. I am sorry that this is happening now, I know the timing is more than terrible, but I don't have much time left."

"Are you talking about regenerating? Are you dying? Is that what you're telling me?" I wobbled a bit on my feet, my stomach turning inside out yet again. Frankly, I was unsure if I could face my life without him.

He took me in his arms, "it's just my face Alice. And maybe a few quirks in my personality. I'll never leave you. I promise, and I keep my promises, don't forget that."

I reached up and put my hands on his cheeks. "But I LOVE this face. I NEED this face. And what about this hair?!" I ran my hands through his crazy hair.

He chuckled, and then looked sad. "I will miss this face." He said, running a hand over his chin.

I looped my arm through his, "me too." We walked a bit further, to a quiet spot, and we sat and watched the sunset.

I needed to be at peace with this, I was grateful he warned me it might be happening. And I believed him when he said he wouldn't forget, or leave me.

I leaned on his shoulder, and offered him my hand.

"Are you scared?" I asked softly.

"Terrified." He answered, taking hold of my hand and squeezing it tightly.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/n. the end to the story. It was the one I had planned for a while now. Hope you like it. **

**Love you all more than I can say. Thanks for reading.**

Epilogue

Two years later...

The Doctor stepped out of the Tardis, and stumbled as he did so. He looked down at his watch. "I'm late. I'm so late. Should have been here hours ago." He mumbled to himself.

The night was dark, there was little to no moonlight to speak of, but it only took seconds for him to feel it.

He was being watched.

"Whoever you are, I know your there." He spun around slowly on his heels, taking in the details of the street outside of Alice's apartment.

A haggard looking man in a trench coat stepped forward from the darkness, and stood in the glow of a nearby street lamp.

"Well, I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't you." The Doctor muttered as the man approached him.

"Hello Doctor, my name is..."

The Doctor interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "I don't care what your name is, all of you are the same. Trouble. What are you doing here lurking outside of Alice's apartment?"

"I need to see her."

"Why? What reason could an angel possibly have for needing to see Alice?" The Doctor moved closer to the man with every word.

"The Winchester's..."

The Doctor pointed a finger in the man's face, "don't even finish that. I don't know exactly what's going on with them right now, but the last time I checked he was with someone new."

The other man nodded, "yes, Lisa. Well, that didn't exactly work out. She tried, but frankly, she just can't understand what he deals with."

"And how is that Alice's problem? She has finally moved on." He pointed toward Alice's front door. "She lives here very quietly with a nice man, that gets into no trouble whatsoever. She even quit hunting, and searching for aliens. She got a job! Alice! She is FINALLY living a normal life. Don't take that from her."

His voice was steadily rising, his anger with it. "I'm serious, when he died she was devastated, and I found out he was back, well...I almost didn't tell her. But I did. And do you know why I did angel?" He was yelling now. "Because I CARE ABOUT HER. She has finally made a good and safe decision. So we are not going to tell her you're here. And there is going to be nothing you can say that will change my mind."

This time the calm quiet angel shouted back. "He NEEDS her!"

"He doesn't even remember her!" The Doctor flung back.

"Of course he does!" He seemed to realize how loud he yelled, and he spoke the next words softly. "When a soul meets its mate, it does not forget."

The Doctor stood open mouthed, and nothing seemed to be coming out. He was left speechless, and that never happened.

And then the angel looked over the Doctors shoulder, and nodded. "Alice." He said simply.

The Doctor closed his eyes, and spun around to see her standing behind him.

* * *

I got home from work late. Let me be clear, I wasn't working late, just avoiding coming home.

When I left that morning, Michael was bragging about some surprise he was going to have waiting for me. I just smiled. I couldn't tell him the only thing I wanted for my Birthday was for the Doctor to show up, and get me the hell out of here for a while.

I waited all day. He didn't come. Finally, after the umpteenth text from my live-in boyfriend, I headed home. With a bad attitude, and a bad migraine.

I entered the house, and immediately saw balloons. "Please don't let this be a surprise party." I mumbled under my breath, as I threw my purse and keys on the table inside the door.

"Michael?" I called, scared of the answer.

"In the kitchen! Finally! I was afraid you were going to be even later, and dinner would be ruined."

I walked into our little kitchen to see a candlelit table, with dinner laid out on it. "Happy Birthday!" He shouted, standing alone in the dining room.

Thank goodness, no party. I was able to give him a real smile. "It's beautiful!" I walked around the table to give him a kiss. "Thank you."

"It's just the beginning." He said, as he excitedly pushed me into a chair. He nervously went to the counter and grabbed a gift bag and brought it back. "Here." He said simply placing it in my hands.

He stood in front of me awkwardly, "are you sure you don't want to eat first?"

He shook his head, and waved his hands, "no, I can't wait any longer."

I reached into the bag, pulled out the paper and looked inside. My heart stopped. My stomach turned, and suddenly I felt very much like throwing up. My shaking hand, reached in again, and pulled out a small box that could only hold one thing.

I looked up to see him down on one knee in front of me. "What?!" I stood up suddenly, knocking the chair over behind me. "Michael, what...why, what are you doing?"

He smiled, "I'm asking you to marry me Alice."

I opened the box, to reveal yet another small piece of proof that this man really had no clue who I was. It was a gigantic diamond, set in an even more gigantic setting. "Michael, we've talked about this." I whispered.

He got to his feet, "I know, I know we have, but if you'll just hear me out." His hands held up in surrender mode.

I shook my head, "no Michael. I explained to you that I never wanted this. I even explained why, I have been nothing but honest with you in the year we have been together. And yet it still seems like you just didn't listen."

"Of course I listened Alice, don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not being ridiculous!" I shouted at him. "I told you, I care about you Michael. I think your are great, and sweet, and...normal. But I will never love you in this way." I held the ring up to his face.

I shook my head, and planted the box in his hands. "No Michael. I don't love you, not like you want me to. And I'm sorry, but I never will."

I turned and headed for the back door. He shouted at my back. "I don't know who the other guy is Alice, but if he really loved you? The way I do? He would have come for you by now. Don't walk away from this Alice! Don't walk away from me."

I stopped as I hit the door, my hand on the knob. "I need some time to think. And so do you." I replied, as I exited the apartment.

I stood outside the door for a moment, trying to catch my breath. "Don't cry Alice, don't cry. He hasn't forgotten. He'll be here, it's your birthday. He always comes on your birthday," I whispered to myself.

And then I heard it. Arguing, I thought?

I walked around the side of the building towards the front. Yes, definitely an argument. It was two strange men, I couldn't understand exactly what they were saying, but they were angry at each other, that was clear by their stance.

And then I saw it, the Tardis.

One of them looked up at me. "Alice," he said simply.

I was confused, I had no idea who he was. He looked exhausted, his eyes dark, wearing a long trench coat. The other man turned, and was the complete opposite, he was bright eyed, his long hair carefully combed, and he was wearing a suit with a bowtie.

I looked at them, and back at the Tardis, and then I realized it. My Doctor was gone. The tears started against my will, "oh well this is bloody fantastic. My life is shit, and now I don't even know which one of you to hug."

Bowtie took a tentative step toward me, but trench coat just looked at me, his head cocked to the side. "I'm sorry. Do you need a hug?"

I grunted angrily, my hands on my hips. "Which one of you is the Doctor?"

Bowtie, ran to me. "Oh geez Alice, I totally forgot! Yes, it's me! I'm here! And this, well this is my new face. What do you think, not to bad eh?"

I let the sob building in my throat escape, "yeah, it's great." I muttered.

"Alice, Alice Temple come here." He held his arms open, and I climbed inside, letting him hold me as I sobbed uncontrollably.

"You're shorter." I said, and I tried my best to smile into the face of a stranger who knew me better than anyone alive.

"A little bit yeah." He said, as he looked down at his feet. "It's a bit weird I know. I should have warned you, but I was already running late."

I put my hands on his cheeks, and he smiled down at me. "You're so young."

He chuckled, "I've missed you Alice. Trust me, it's been much longer for me than a year since I've seen you. I'm definitely not young."

I suddenly remembered the other man. I leaned sideways around the Doctor, and he pushed me back, trying to get me away from the other man. "Ignore him Alice."

"Who is he? Who are you?" I shouted, stepping out from behind the Doctor to see that the man hadn't moved an inch since he first spotted me.

"My name is Castiel. I've come for your help."

"Why me? What do you want?" I walked toward him, but my new Doctor grabbed me by the arm.

"No Alice, it's trouble. Let's just go okay? I have soooooo much to tell you. And new friends for you to meet, the Ponds, you're going to love them. I left them at their flat in England, we'll go pick them up and go somewhere exciting." He got a pleading look on his face, "please Alice. Please?"

Just then the front door to the apartment opened, and Michael looked at me with a shocked expression. "Alice? Who are these men? Why have you been crying? Come back inside we need to talk."

"No Alice, I need your help. Dean Winchester, he needs you. Sam...well, something is off, or wrong with him. He needs you Alice, no one else can fill the void you left." The haggard man begged.

I looked up at my new Doctor, over at the man who could return me to the only man I ever really loved, and the man in the doorway who deserved an explanation.

What the hell was I going to do now? "Bollocks." Was the only thing I could manage to say.

**A/n. I know, I know, a cliffhanger of sorts. But if I can come up with another original story line, or some existing cannon I can add to, our little Alice will be back.**

**I am changing this story to complete for now, but if I decide to write more, I will probably add it to this story as a "part two" of sorts, rather than posting it as a sequal.**

**If you have any requests, questions, or ideas, I'd LOVE to hear them. Leave a comment, or pm me.**

**Thanks again everyone. :)**


End file.
